Perceived discrimination and subjective well-being of left-behind children: social support and psychological resilience as mediators.

Introduction: Chinese left-behind children (LBC) report perceiving significant discrimination, a chronic stressor linked to adverse mental health outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Guided by the stress process model, which suggests that exposure to stress can increase the risk of poorer mental health through the depletion of psychosocial resources, this study examined whether the association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being was partially explained by social support and psychological resilience. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sichuan Province, southwest China. Questionnaires on Perceived Discrimination, Social Support Rating Scale, Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents, and Subjective Happiness Scale were completed by 719 LBC (aged 10-15 years) from primary and junior high school. Results: We found that higher perceived discrimination was significantly associated with lower subjective well-being. This association was partially explained by social support and psychological resilience directly, as well as by a path involving lower social support leading to reduced psychological resilience. Discussion: These findings contribute to understanding the mechanism through which discrimination may influence LBC's subjective well-being. This highlights the need for multi-level interventions that aim to enhance individual resilience, strengthen social support networks, and address the broader issue of discrimination.