The Impact of Parent–Child Relationships on the Mental Health of Returnee Children: The Role of Social Support and Psychological Resilience

ABSTRACT Returnee children often encounter numerous challenges during reintegration into new environments, potentially leading to mental health issues. However, existing research has been insufficient. This study explores the impact of parent–child relationships on the mental health of returnee children and analyses the mediating roles of social support and psychological resilience. Using cluster sampling, data were collected from 2279 primary and secondary students across six grades in a city in Jiangsu Province, including 441 returnee children and 1838 nonreturnee children. The findings showed that returnee children exhibited significantly more mental health issues compared to nonreturnee children. Significant positive correlations were found between parent–child relationships, social support and psychological resilience, while these factors negatively correlated with mental health issues. Further analysis revealed that parent–child relationships affected returnee children's mental health through the mediating effects of social support and psychological resilience, as well as a chain mediating effect. Therefore, parents and educators should enhance social support and psychological resilience in returnee children to strengthen the positive impact of parent–child relationships on their mental health. These findings have important implications for the prevention and intervention of mental health issues among returnee children.