







































 

 

 

 

 

The Relationship between Loneliness, 

Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in 

Left-Behind Middle School Students 

in China: Taking Binhai County of 

Jiangsu Province as an Example

Lei Jiang,
1
 Mingyue Liao,

2
 Ronghua Ying

2
 

 
1. Jiangsu Binhai Middle School, Yancheng 224000, Jiangsu, China 

2. Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, Jiangsu, China 

Abstract.  

Objective: To explore the relationship between loneliness, self-efficacy, 

and satisfaction with life of Left-behind middle school students in China. 

Methods: A cluster random sampling method was used to study students 
from Left-behind middle schools in Binhai County of Jiangsu Province. 

The loneliness scale, general self-efficacy scale, and satisfaction with 
life scale were used to conduct questionnaire surveys. 

Results: Compared with non-left behind middle school students, Left-

behind middle school students had higher loneliness, lower self-efficacy, 
and satisfaction with life. There were significant gender differences in 

loneliness and satisfaction with life of the two types of students. Whether 

to live in school or not had an insignificant impact on the loneliness and 
satisfaction with life of Left-behind middle school students. Loneliness 

had a significant negative predictive effect on the satisfaction with Left-
behind middle school students’ life and self-efficacy. In predicting satis-

faction with life by loneliness, self-efficacy generally played a part of the 

mediating role, which could partially buffer the adverse effects of loneli-
ness on student satisfaction with life. 

Conclusion: The mental health of left-behind middle school students 

should arouse the common concern of family, school and society. Try to 

do some intervention counseling in reducing the experience of loneliness 

and enhancing the sense of self-efficacy to improve their satisfaction 
with life and maintain a positive mental state. 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No.2, 2020 804 

Best Evid Chin Edu 2020; 6(2):803-824. 

Doi: 10.15354/bece.20.or034. 

How to Cite: Jiang, L., Liao M.Y. & Ying, R.H. (2020). The relationship between 

loneliness, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life in left-behind middle school stu-

dents in China: Taking Binhai County of Jiangsu Province as an example. Best Evi-

dence in Chinese Education, 6(2):803-824. 

Keywords: Left-Behind Middle School Students; Loneliness; Self-Efficacy; Satis-

faction with life

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

About the Authors: Lei Jiang, Psychology Teacher, Jiangsu Binhai Middle School, Yancheng 224000, Jiangsu, 
China. Email: 1986477680@qq.com. 

Mingyue Liao, Master’s Degree Candidate, School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, 

Jiangsu, China. Email: liaomingyueyes@163.com. 
Correspondence to: Ronghua Ying, Experimental Teacher, School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, 

Nanjing 210097, Jiangsu, China. Email: 13951969343@163.com 

Conflict of Interests: None. 
 

© 2020 Insights Publisher. All rights reserved. 

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Crea-

tive Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-

nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided 

the original work is attributed by the Insights Publisher. 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 805 

Introduction 

ITH the continuous development of China’s industrialization and urbaniza-

tion, many rural surplus laborers have poured into cities to look for jobs far 

away from their hometown, forming a “migrant worker wave” phenomenon. 

However, because they are restricted by the household registration (Hu Kou) policy, 

economic conditions, employment environment, urban enrollment conditions, and other 

factors, they usually do not bring their children with them into the city and can only 

leave them at the location of the household registration (Jiang, 2016; Tang et al., 2018). 

This makes it difficult for parents who are migrant workers to have the opportunity to 

accompany and take care of their children, resulting in the phenomenon of long-term 

separation of children from their parents during their growth (Zhao et al., 2017). In oth-

er words, the phenomenon of the “migrant worker wave” in contemporary China has 

formed a particular social group: Left-behind Children. According to the “Opinions on 

Strengthening the Care and Protection of Left-behind Children in Rural Areas” issued 

by the State Council in 2016, when both or one of the parents go out to work, and the 

other has no guardianship capacity, minors under 16 are Left-behind children. The long-

term separation of parent and child and the lack of family education have brought many 

adverse effects on the life, learning, and growth of children Left-behind. Compared with 

non-left behind children, Left-behind children are more likely to have bad emotional 

and behavioral problems (Cheng & Sun, 2015; He, 2012) and lower satisfaction with 

life (Wei, 2015). This has gradually attracted attention from society, schools, and fami-

lies. Left-behind children’s mental health is becoming a critical public health issue in 

China. According to official statistics, from 2010 to 2014, approximately 61 million 

children in China were Left-behind in rural areas by their migrant parents. It accounts 

for nearly 22% of the country’s total children (Yuan & Wang, 2016). As of 2016, the 

Ministry of Civil Affairs data showed that there were 9.02 million Left-behind children 

in rural areas across the country. This shows that governments at all levels in China 

have made great efforts to reduce the number of Left-behind children. Also, scholars 

have launched a lot of investigation and research. By 2020, searching for the “China 

National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)” with “Left-behind children” as the key-

word, a total of 6,752 entries have been retrieved, which has doubled compared to 2017 

(Fu & Ling, 2017). It shows that Chinese academic circles have been paying attention 

to Left-behind children. However, in previous studies, more attention has been paid to 

Left-behind children’s negative tendency, such as the adverse effects of Left-behind on 

their academic development and the unhealthy psychological and behavioral phenome-

na of Left-behind children (Yu & Zhang, 2010). In the past five years, researchers have 

gradually begun to focus on the positive psychological development of children Left-

behind (Shao et al., 2018), which has made the research in this field more comprehen-

sive. 

Under the influence of positive psychology, the Dual-Factor Model of Mental 

Health (DFM) has broken through the previous psychopathological indicators as the 

only standard for measuring mental health, incorporating the concept of subjective well-

W 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 806 

being (Greenspoon & Saklofske, 2001). This covers life satisfaction, positive and nega-

tive emotions (Diener, 2000). Among which life satisfaction can better reflect the sub-

jective well-being of Chinese people (Sun et al., 2010) and can replace subjective well-

being as a positive indicator of middle school students’ mental health (Hai et al., 2015). 

Therefore, this study uses life satisfaction as a measure of Left-behind middle school 

students’ mental health. The satisfaction with students’ lives is the subjective evaluation 

of the individual’s life based on the standard set by themselves (Zhong et al., 2007). 

Studies have shown that satisfaction with life is closely related to students’ anxiety, 

depression, and other harmful emotions, as well as problem behaviors such as dropouts 

(de Vasconcelos, 2020; Han & Zhang, 2020). Therefore, further exploration of the in-

fluencing factors and mechanism of satisfaction with Chinese life Left-behind children 

is of great value to their physical and mental health and academic education. 

Satisfaction with life is the core indicator of subjective well-being (Cowen, 

1994). Many studies have shown that loneliness negatively predicts subjective well-

being and is a significant predictor (Arslan, 2020; Rew, 2002). Due to the particularity 

of Left-behind children’s family status, the academic community pays more attention to 

their unique loneliness. Studies have shown that 50% of Left-behind children are lonely 

for a long time, and loneliness is their most common emotional experience (Zhou & 

Yao, 2011). The loneliness of Left-behind children is significantly higher than that of 

non-left behind children (Fan et al., 2017; Ren & Shen, 2008). However, another study 

found that compared with non-left behind children, children’s loneliness experience did 

not increase significantly (Wang et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2012). Therefore, there is 

controversy about the loneliness research of Left-behind children, and it is necessary to 

explore the loneliness of Left-behind children further. 

Most studies show that loneliness and life satisfaction are significantly nega-

tively correlated; that is, loneliness significantly negatively predicts life satisfaction 

(Salimi, 2011; Su, 2016). However, some studies show that loneliness is positively cor-

related with life satisfaction (Turan, 2020), which may because studies were based on 

senior people (Ye et al., 2016; Zou & Yang, 2017).  However, Turan et al. used college 

students as the research object. So far, the relationship between loneliness and satisfac-

tion with life of different groups may have different results. Previous studies have ig-

nored the relationship between loneliness and satisfaction with the life of the select 

group of Left-behind children. Therefore, this research explores the relationship be-

tween loneliness and satisfaction with life of Left-behind children and then provides a 

theoretical basis for improving life satisfaction. 

Left-behind children are in a disadvantaged situation of being separated from 

their parents for a long time. They may be more likely to have destructive emotions and 

problem behaviors. However, not all children will have these bad problems. Research-

ers have gradually realized that unfavorable environments do not necessarily lead to 

developmental disadvantages; some children develop very well, facing the same pres-

sure. In contrast, others develop poorly (Zhang et al., 2012), and then the Theory of 

Children’s Resilience Development (Zeng & Li, 2003). The theory’s core point is that 

when an individual is in a disadvantaged situation, the individual’s psychological resili-



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 807 

ence can help him cope with pressure or adversity and develop and grow. Risk factors 

hinder the development of children’s psychological resilience, while protective factors 

can reduce children’s unfavorable environments and ultimately promote psychological 

resilience. Many researchers currently divide protective factors into individual factors, 

family factors, and non-family factors (Zhang, 2015). Existing empirical studies have 

shown that self-efficacy, as an essential protective factor of psychological resilience, 

can predict psychological resilience development (Chu et al., 2013). Bandura believes 

that self-efficacy is a hierarchical structure composed of general self-efficacy and task-

related self-efficacy. The former is at the top, which refers to the general belief that an 

individual has in order to deal with challenges from different environments successfully 

or to deal with new things (Ersan et al., 2018; Li et al., 2019); the latter is at the bottom, 

which refers to the individual A specific belief that oneself can engage in specific activ-

ities related to a specific field of behavior (Li et al., 2019). Previous studies on middle 

school Left-behind children’s self-efficacy paid more attention to task-related self-

efficacy, such as emotional regulation self-efficacy, learning efficacy (Wang et al., 2017; 

Zhao & Wang, 2015), to middle school Left-behind. There are few studies on the gen-

eral self-efficacy of children. However, task-related efficacy cannot represent general 

efficacy. Therefore, it is necessary to study the general self-efficacy of Left-behind 

middle school students to distinguish it from task-related self-efficacy. 

Self-efficacy is an essential part of the social cognitive theory. As an external 

factor affecting mental health, self-efficacy has attracted more and more attention from 

scholars. Its relationship with mental health has been demonstrated in theoretical and 

empirical studies. At the theoretical level, both Health Belief Model and Protection Mo-

tivation Theory regard self-efficacy as a crucial factor affecting individual mental health 

(Babazadeh et al., 2016; Holden, 1991), and Social Cognitive Theory also proposes to 

have high self-efficacy of individuals present a higher level of positive factors for men-

tal health (Silva, 2015). At the practical level, many studies have found a close connec-

tion between self-efficacy and mental health. The specific manifestation is that individ-

uals with high self-efficacy tend to show higher levels of positive factors of mental 

health (satisfaction with life, self-esteem, and positive emotions), but low levels of neg-

ative factors (loneliness, depression, and negative emotions) (Li et al., 2019). Specifi-

cally, loneliness is negatively correlated with general self-efficacy (Dussault & 

Deaudelin, 2001; Yang et al., 2011; Zhou, 2014), and loneliness predicts self-efficacy 

(Al Khatib, 2012). There is a positive correlation between self-efficacy and satisfaction 

with life (Tan, 2008); self-efficacy positively predicts life satisfaction (Cikrikci & 

Odaci, 2015; Liang et al., 2019). Therefore, based on the theory of children’s psycho-

logical resilience and previous related studies, this study predicts that general self-

efficacy, as a protective factor affecting Left-behind children’s loneliness, will mediate 

between loneliness and satisfaction with life. 

In sum, there is a close relationship between loneliness, general self-efficacy, 

and satisfaction with life. However, whether there are differences in the loneliness of 

Left-behind children and non-left behind children is still controversial. Research on the 

relationship between loneliness and self-efficacy varies from group to group. There is 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 808 

no research on loneliness and self-efficacy of middle school Left-behind children at the 

same time. Based on previous studies, only the primary school was examined, or the 

sample’s age range was extensive. However, the mechanism of satisfaction with life of 

Left-behind children in adolescence in the middle school was not explored. Therefore, 

we focus our research on the middle school segment, explore the connection and differ-

ence between Left-behind middle school students and non-left behind middle school 

students in loneliness, general self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life, and further ex-

plore whether general self-efficacy is in loneliness Play an intermediary role with satis-

faction with life. To deepen and promote the mental health education of Left-behind 

middle school students and promote their satisfaction with life to provide a scientific 

and practical theoretical basis. This study was reviewed by the Academic Ethics Com-

mittee of the School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University. The questionnaires 

used in this study are all published results and do not involve any infringement. 

Methodology 

Research Object 

In Binhai County, Jiangsu Province, four middle schools were randomly selected to 

conduct online questionnaire surveys, and the questionnaires were distributed by ran-

dom cluster sampling. There were 4,513 people in this survey, and 4,229 valid ques-

tionnaires were returned, with an effective response rate of 93.71%. Among them, 977 

children were Left-behind, and 3252 children were non-left behind, with an average age 

of (13.99±1.1) years old. In all Left-behind children, 502 were boys (51.4%) and 475 

were girls (48.6%); 559 (57.2%) were live-in-school, 418 (42.8%) were non-school-

livings; 236 (24.2%) were only children, 741 were non-only children (75.8%). 

Research Tool 

1. The Loneliness Scale: This study uses the third edition of the “UCLA loneli-

ness scale,” which Russell compiled in 1978 and was revised in 1995 by the 

domestic scholar Professor Dengfeng Wang. The scale has 20 items, and the 

score is divided into four levels: never, rarely, sometimes, and always. Scores 

above 44 points are high loneliness, 39-44 points are generally upper loneliness, 

33-38 points are middle loneliness, 28-32 points are generally lower loneliness, 

and less than 28 points are low loneliness. The Cronbach α coefficient of this 

scale is 0.846. 

2. Self-Efficacy Scale: Schwarzer compiled the general self-efficacy scale (GSES) 

used in this study in 1981, and it was revised to include ten items. The scale 

uses the Likert four-point method (1 = completely incorrect, 4 = completely 

correct), with a total score of 10-40 points. The higher the score, the higher the 

level of self-efficacy. 

3. Satisfaction with Life Scale: This study uses the “Adolescent Student Satisfac-

tion with life Scale” compiled by domestic scholar Xinggui Zhang et al. It con- 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 809 

Table 1. Comparison of Loneliness, General Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction 
with Life Between Left-Behind and Non-Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

 

Left-Behind Middle 
School Students 
(n = 977) 

Non-Left-Behind Middle 
School Students 
(n = 3,252) 

t Cohen’ sd 

Loneliness 41.99 ± 9.47 40.70 ± 9.61 3.69*** 0.14 

General 
Self-Efficacy 

23.68 ± 5.75 24.15 ± 5.70 -2.28* 0.08 

Satisfaction 
with Life 

176.08 ± 29.00 180.11 ± 28.00 -3.91*** 0.14 

Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. 

 

 

 

 

 

tains 36 items in 6 dimensions: the friendship satisfaction dimension and the 

family satisfaction dimension each contain seven items, the academic satisfac-

tion dimension and the school satisfaction dimension each have six items, and 

the freedom satisfaction dimension and the environmental satisfaction dimen-

sion each have five items. The scale uses the Likert 7-level scoring method (1 

point: strongly disagree; 2 points: disagree; 3 points: somewhat disagree; 4 

points: neither agree nor disagree; 5 points: somewhat agree; 6 points: agree; 7 

points: strongly agree). The dimensional coefficients and test-retest reliability 

of the scale are all above 0.62. 

Statistical Analysis 

The data were analyzed by SPSS17.0 statistical software. Quantitative data are ex-

pressed as Mean ± SD, and t-test, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis were 

performed between variables to clarify the relationship between loneliness, general self-

efficacy, and satisfaction with life. According to Zhonglin Wen’s three-step method, the 

intermediary effect test procedure is performed to test the relationship between the vari-

ables in turn (Wen et al., 2004), that is, loneliness is used as the independent variable, 

self-efficacy is generally the intermediary variable, and satisfaction with life is the de-

pendent variable. Moreover, perform sequential regression analysis. P < 0.05 is consid-

ered statistically significant.  

Results 

Overall Situation 

The results showed that Left-behind middle school students’ loneliness was higher than 

that of non-left behind middle school students. Simultaneously, self-efficacy and satis-

faction with life were lower than those of non-left behind middle school students, and 

both had statistical significance (Table 1). 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 810 

Table 2. Demographic Variables Analysis of Loneliness of Left-Behind and 
Non-Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

  

Loneliness 

t Cohen’ sd Left-Behind 
Middle School 
Students 

Non-Left-Behind 
Middle School 
Students 

Gender Male 41.27 ± 8.8 39.88 ± 9.11 3.03** 0.16 

Female 42.75 ± 10.07 41.65 ± 10.07 2.09* 0.11 

t -2.46*       

Cohen’ sd 0.16       

Live in 
School 

Yes 41.77 ± 9.16 42.01 ± 9.84 -0.42 0.03 

No 42.28 ± 9.87 40.42 ± 9.54 3.70** 0.19 

t -0.84       

Cohen’ sd 0.05       

Only 
Child 

Yes 41.87 ± 9.16 40.55 ± 9.30 1.81 0.14 

No 42.03 ± 9.57 40.03 ± 9.57 3.25*** 0. 21 

t -0.23       

Cohen’ sd 0.02       

Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. 

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis of Loneliness on Various Demographic Variables 

Survey results showed (Table 2): 

1. The loneliness of girls Left-behind was higher than that of boys, and it was sta-

tistically significant. Whether it was a boy or a girl, the Left-behind’s loneli-

ness was generally higher than that of the non-left behind, and both were statis-

tically significant. 

2. The loneliness of non-live-in-school students Left-behind middle school stu-

dents was higher than that of live-in-school, but it was not statistically signifi-

cant. Among live-in-school students, the Left-behind’s loneliness was slightly 

lower than that of the non-left behind, but it was not statistically significant. 

Among non-live-in-school students, the Left-behind’s loneliness was higher 

than that of the non-left behind, and it was statistically significant. 

3. The loneliness of non-only children among Left-behind middle school students 

was higher than that of only children, but it was not statistically significant. 

Among only children, the Left-behind’s loneliness was slightly higher than that 

of the non-left behind, but it was not statistically significant. Among non-only 

children, the Left-behind’s loneliness was higher than that of the non-left be-

hind, and it was statistically significant. 

 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 811 

Table 3. Demographic Variables Analysis of General Self-Efficacy of Left-
Behind and Non-Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

    General Self-Efficacy 

t Cohen’ sd Left-Behind 
Middle School 
Students 

Non-Left-Behind 
Middle School 
Students 

Gender Male 23.85 ± 8.53 24.35 ± 5.78 -1.68 0.08 

Female 23.49 ± 5.66 23.93 ± 5.59 -1.49 0.08 

t 0.98       

Cohen’ sd 0.06       

Live in 
School 

Yes 24.04 ± 5.75 23.97 ± 5.60 0.23 0.01 

No 23.19 ± 5.72 24.19 ± 5.72 -3.33** 0.18 

t 2.29*       

Cohen’ sd 0.15       

Only 
Child 

Yes 23.99 ± 6.05 24.37 ± 5.83 -0.83 0.06 

No 23.58 ± 5.65 24.11 ± 5.67 -2.27* 0.09 

t 0.96       

Cohen’ sd 0.07       

Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. 

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis of General Self-Efficacy on Various Demographic 

Variables 

Survey results showed (Table 3): 

1. The self-efficacy of Left-behind boys was slightly higher than that of Left-

behind girls, but it was not statistically significant. Whether it was a boy or a 

girl, the self-efficacy of Left-behind was generally slightly lower than that of 

non-left behind, but no statistical significance existed. 

2. The self-efficacy of live-in-school students among Left-behind middle school 

students was higher than that of non-live-in-school students, and it was statisti-

cally significant. Among live-in-school students, the Left-behind self-efficacy 

was slightly higher than that of non-left behind, but it was not statistically sig-

nificant. Among non-live-in-school students, the Left-behind’s self-efficacy 

was lower than that of the non-left behind, and it was statistically significant. 

3. The self-efficacy of the only child Left-behind middle school students was 

slightly higher than that of the non-only child, but it was not statistically signif-

icant. Among the only children, the Left-behind’s self-efficacy was slightly 

lower than that of the Left-behind, but it was not statistically significant. 

Among non-only children, the Left-behind’s self-efficacy was lower than that 

of the non-left behind, and it was statistically significant. 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 812 

 

Table 4. Demographic Variables Analysis of Satisfaction with Life of Left-
Behind and Non-Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

  

Satisfaction with Life 

t Cohen’ sd Left-Behind 
Middle School 
Students 

Non-Left-Behind 
Middle School 
Students 

Gender Male 177.60 ± 27.46 181.32 ± 26.80 -2.73** 0.14 

Female 174.48 ± 30.50 178.70 ± 29.28 -2.71** 0.14 

t 1.68       

Cohen’ sd 0.11       

Live in 
School 

Yes 177.39 ± 29.22 180.11 ± 27.41 -1.62 0.10 

No 174.33 ± 28.65 180.11 ± 28.14 -3.90*** 0.20 

t 1.64       

Cohen’ sd 0.11       

Only Child Yes 176.76 ± 29.64 179.58 ± 28.33 -1.25 0.10 

No 175.86 ± 28.81 180.21 ± 27.95 -3.73*** 0.15 

t 0.42       

Cohen’ sd 0.03       

Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. 

 

 

 

 

 

Analysis of Satisfaction with Life on Demographic Variables 

Survey results showed (Table 4): 

1. The satisfaction with boys’ lives was slightly higher than that of girls Left-

behind, but it was not statistically significant. Whether it was a boy or a girl, 

the satisfaction with life of the Left-behind was lower than that of the non-left 

behind, and both had statistical significance. 

2. The satisfaction with life of live-in-school students among Left-behind middle 

school students was higher than that of non-live-in-school students, but it was 

not statistically significant. Among live-in-school students, the satisfaction 

with life of the Left-behind was lower than that of the non-left behind, but it 

was not statistically significant. Among non-live-in-school students, the satis-

faction with life of the Left-behind was lower than that of the non-left behind, 

and it was statistically significant. 

3. The satisfaction with the only child Left-behind middle school students was 

higher than that of the non-only child, but it was not statistically significant. 

Among only children, the satisfaction with life of the Left-behind was slightly 

lower than that of the non-left behind, but it was not statistically significant. 

Among the non-only children, the satisfaction with life of the Left-behind was 

lower than that of the non-left behind, and it was statistically significant. 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 813 

Table 5. Correlation Analysis of Loneliness, General Self-Efficacy, and Satis-
faction with Life of Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

 General Self-Efficacy Loneliness 

Satisfaction with Life 0.43** -0.62** 

Friendship Satisfaction 0.43** -0.47** 

Family Satisfaction 0.31** -0.51** 

Academic Satisfaction 0.43** -0.97** 

Free Satisfaction 0.34** - 0.42** 

School Satisfaction 0.23** -0.53** 

Environmental Satisfaction 0 .17** -0.52** 

Loneliness -0.21** 1.00 

Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. 

 

 

 

 

 

Correlation Analysis of Loneliness, General Self-Efficacy, and 

Satisfaction with Life of Left-behind Middle School Students 

Table 5 shows that Left-behind middle school students’ general self-efficacy is posi-

tively correlated with satisfaction with life. The same is true for all dimensions of satis-

faction with life. Generally, self-efficacy is negatively correlated with loneliness. There 

is a negative correlation between loneliness and satisfaction with life and a negative 

correlation in specific dimensions.  

Loneliness and Satisfaction with Life: Analysis of the Mediation 

Effect of General Self-Efficacy 

According to the results of the correlation analysis, it was found that there is a negative 

correlation between loneliness and satisfaction with life in Left-behind middle school 

students, a positive correlation between self-efficacy and satisfaction with life, and a 

negative correlation between loneliness and self-efficacy. However, the causal relation-

ship between the three was not clear. Therefore, the procedural test method was used to 

verify further whether there was a mediating effect (Wen et al., 2004). 

Step 1. Take loneliness as the independent variable and satisfaction with life as 

the dependent variable to investigate loneliness’s regression analysis on life satisfaction. 

The results showed that loneliness could predict life satisfaction, and the net explana-

tion of variance was 37.8%. 

Step 2. Take loneliness as the independent variable and general self-efficacy as 

the dependent variable to investigate loneliness’s regression analysis on general self-

efficacy. The results showed that loneliness could predict general self-efficacy, and the 

net explanation of variance was 5.5%, P < 0.01. 



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Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 814 

Table 6. The Mediating Role of Left-Behind Middle School Students’ General 
Self-Efficacy in Loneliness and Satisfaction with Life (R Value). 

 
Predictor 
Variable 

Outcome 
Variable 

R
2
 F β t 

1st Step Loneliness 
Satisfaction 
with Life 

0.38 2,571.93*** -0.62 -50.71*** 

2nd Step Loneliness 
General 
Self-Efficacy 

0.06 245.44*** -0.23 -15.67*** 

3rd Step 

Loneliness 
Satisfaction 
with Life 

0.47 1,837.81 *** 

-0.54 -47.01*** 

General 
Self-Efficacy 

0.30 26.20*** 

Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy between Loneliness and 
Satisfaction with Life. 

 

 

 

 

Step 3. Use loneliness and general self-efficacy as independent variables and 

satisfaction with life as dependent variables to test the former’s regression analysis. It 

was found that after introducing the general self-efficacy into the equation, the main 

effect of loneliness on satisfaction with life increased (from β = -0.62 to β = -0.54), and 

the net explanatory amount of variance increased to 46.5%. This showed that general 

self-efficacy plays a mediating effect between loneliness and satisfaction with life. The 

results are shown in Table 6 and Figure 1. 

Discussion 

Analysis of the Results of the Loneliness in Left-behind Middle 

School Students 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 815 

This study shows that the loneliness of Left-behind middle school students is signifi-

cantly higher than that of non-left behind middle school students. This once again veri-

fies that children Left-behind will experience more loneliness (Ren et al., 2020). Left-

behind Due to long-term separation from their parents, children significantly lack emo-

tional communication with their parents. Their personalities tend to become introverted, 

withdrawn, and have low gregariousness (Liu et al., 2007). They tend to feel lonely. 

What is more noteworthy is that the loneliness of Left-behind girls is signifi-

cantly higher than that of Left-behind boys, which is different from previous studies 

(Ren et al., 2020). Due to the unique delicate and sensitive emotional characteristics of 

girls’ gender, their performance in adolescence becomes more apparent, making them 

more prone to mood swings when encountering frustration or stress, thus exhibiting 

symptoms such as anxiety, tension, and depression. The particular living state of Left-

behind is more likely to lead to their lonely inner experience.  

When investigating the impact of live-in-school on the loneliness of Left-

behind middle school students, this study showed a phenomenon that was rarely in-

volved in previous studies, that is, the loneliness of Left-behind live-in-school students 

was lower than left-behind non-live-in-school students and non-left behind live-in-

school students. This is somewhat inconsistent with previous studies. When surveyed 

with general rural elementary and middle school students, the loneliness of live-in-

school students was significantly higher than that of non-live-in-school students (Huang 

et al., 2009), which may be due to Huang et al. did not distinguish between Left-behind 

and non-left behind status. Another reason for the low loneliness of students who were 

left-behind live-in-school may be that their live-in-school experience has increased the 

interaction with peers and the integration in the group, to some extent, alleviated their 

loneliness. 

Although the loneliness of Left-behind live-in-school students is lower than 

that of Left-behind non-live-in-school students and non-left behind live-in-school stu-

dents, there is a difference between them. It is not significant. This may be due to the 

uneven collection of Left-behind and non-left behind samples in this study. Besides, the 

difference in the effects of live-in-school and only-child status on the Left-behind lone-

liness was not statistically significant. However, it can be seen from the data that the 

loneliness of live-in-school Left-behind students was lower than non-live-in-school 

Left-behind students, and the loneliness of only-child Left-behind students was lower 

than non-only-child Left-behind students. This result may be related to that live-in-

school increases the chances of peer interaction; that is, more companions reduce the 

loneliness experience of live-in-school Left-behind students. Students with only chil-

dren Left-behind became the only concern of parents. Multiple children would weaken 

parents’ attention to a child, resulting in slightly higher loneliness of students who were 

not only-child Left-behind than those who are only-child Left-behind. 

Analysis of General Self-Efficacy Results of Left-behind Middle 

School Students 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 816 

This study also found significant differences in general self-efficacy between Left-

behind middle school students and non-left behind middle school students, consistent 

with previous studies (Zhao et al., 2012). Specifically, Left-behind middle school stu-

dents’ general self-efficacy was significantly lower than that of non-left behind middle 

school students. Moreover, this study further found that the self-efficacy of live-in-

school Left-behind students is higher than that of non-live-in-school Left-behind stu-

dents. This shows that live-in-school has a positive effect on the self-efficacy training 

and development of Left-behind middle school students. This is similar to the results of 

the aforementioned loneliness. Live-in-school students study and live with their peers 

for a long time and spend relatively little time alone. In addition, teachers and live-in-

school students get along day and night, to a certain extent, to make up for the lack of 

parents’ absence, and their care and encouragement will also make Left-behind children 

more confident (Qi & Yang, 2013). 

Analysis of the Results of Satisfaction with Life in Left-behind 

Middle School Students 

Also, Left-behind with previous studies, the satisfaction with life Left-behind loneliness 

above was significantly lower than that of non-left behind ones (Su, 2017). We believe 

that the right family education environment is also an essential impact on children’s 

satisfaction with life, especially parents’ companionship and care (Song et al., 2018). 

Children in the Left-behind state lack family support and timely empathy and supervi-

sion from their parents, which will undoubtedly increase the emotional distress and var-

ious pressures of Left-behind children (Wen & Lin, 2011), thereby reducing the happi-

ness of Left-behind students sense. Although the parents and the student may not sepa-

rate around all the year-round, the parents can communicate with the children regularly 

through the Internet media, inquire about the children’s learning and living conditions, 

partially compensate for the lack of parent-child communication and parental compan-

ionship of the Left-behind children, and improve their physical and mental development 

and social adaptation (Niu et al., 2019). 

Analysis of the Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy be-

tween Loneliness and Satisfaction with Life 

This study explored the relationship between the loneliness of Left-behind middle 

school students, general self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life through intermediary 

analysis and found that Left-behind middle school students’ loneliness can directly neg-

atively predict satisfaction with life. This is consistent with previous studies on the el-

derly population (Wang & Yao, 2020), but it is different from the university student 

population (Turan, 2020). This may be due to the difference between the Left-behind 

children and the elderly passively facing the lack of family intimacy (Ye et al., 2016). 

At the same time, because one or both parents are not around, the interaction between 

the Left-behind child and the parent is reduced, which is not conducive to the formation 

of a secure attachment relationship, and it will also negatively affect the Left-behind 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 817 

child to form a favorable and trustworthy relationship with other people such as peers 

and teachers (Ren, 2020). When the Left-behind middle school students with higher 

loneliness are subjectively evaluating their living conditions, they do not get enough 

support from others and cannot meet their psychological expectations; they are likely to 

generally show a low level of life satisfaction. Secondly, generally, self-efficacy plays a 

part in the intermediary role between loneliness and satisfaction with life. In other 

words, the loneliness of Left-behind middle school students will affect their satisfaction 

with life, part of which is generated through general self-efficacy mediation. According 

to Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, other factors that affect self-efficacy include support 

from others, mental state, and personality. Loneliness belongs to the individual’s inter-

nal psychological state and is an essential factor affecting self-efficacy (Yong & Du, 

2019). Also, multiple studies have found that damaging loneliness may cause depres-

sion, low self-esteem, and shyness, and other psychological and behavioral manifesta-

tions (Dai et al., 2017; Li et al., 2013), and tend to withdraw and deny themselves, 

thereby reducing self-efficacy, which impact on life satisfaction. Also, loneliness nega-

tively predicts general self-efficacy, and general self-efficacy positively predicts satis-

faction with life, which fully supports the theory of children’s psychological resilience. 

That is, general self-efficacy, as a protective factor, can help Left-behind children ac-

tively cope with loneliness caused by disadvantaged situations; at the same time, this 

also suggests that we can improve children’s satisfaction with life the general self-

efficacy of Left-behind children. 

Significance and Application Value of the Study 

The mental health of children Left-behind in China has been a hot issue that society has 

paid close attention to in recent years. This problem’s emergence and response are re-

lated to all aspects of family, school, and society. According to the results of this study, 

the loneliness experience of Left-behind middle school students is reduced. At the same 

time, their self-efficacy is improved, which can effectively improve their satisfaction 

with life. In order to realize this vision, some work can be done from the following as-

pects. 

1. School Level. The emphasis is on creating a harmonious campus and class at-

mosphere to form a good relationship between peers and teachers. Consider 

carrying out group counseling activities to enhance the self-esteem and self-

confidence of Left-behind middle school students. It can also help Left-behind 

middle school students actively cope with bad emotional experiences such as 

loneliness and anxiety through case consultation and behavior modification. 

According to this study’s results, choosing boarding schools for Left-behind 

middle school students may be a useful measure because boarding schools gen-

erally implement closed management, which has a good supervision effect on 

Left-behind children. Moreover, it can reduce the bad behavior problems 

caused by an unsupervised state. For live-in-school students, the time spent 

with peers and teachers is significantly longer. The school teacher temporarily 

assumes the role of “surrogate parent,” supervises students’ learning while tak-



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 818 

ing care of their lives, and can promptly find out their learning, life, and psy-

chological problems and provide help and guidance, so the support from peers 

and teachers can significantly reduce the loneliness of the Left-behind students. 

2. Family Level. Left-behind children’s parents cannot be with them, but they 

should try their best to contact the child, strengthen communication with the 

child, and understand their problems and needs. The object of this research is 

Left-behind, middle school students. The physiology and psychology of chil-

dren of this age are undergoing tremendous changes, and they are prone to de-

viations in their outlook on life and values. They tend to keep some troubles 

and confusions in their hearts. On the one hand, parents must understand the 

physical and mental changes of children during a particular period, and on the 

other hand, they must spare no effort to provide them with timely help. Alt-

hough the barrier of physical distance, in reality, cannot make parent-child 

closer contact, with the help of some modern communication tools, it is still 

possible to maintain close contact with children at a psychological distance. 

Even if just listen to children’s confession is a great relief and support to them. 

3. Individual Level. According to the well-known psychologist Erikson’s theory 

of personality development, children in middle school are in puberty, and their 

instincts will bring some problems. It is incredibly easy to feel confused when 

facing new social requirements and social conflicts. The biggest crisis at this 

stage is self-identity and role confusion. It is even more critical for Left-behind 

middle school students to learn to understand themselves from multiple angles 

correctly. By participating in some beneficial group activities to expand their 

friends, they accumulate more positive emotional experience, based on proper 

attribution to face the negative emotions in their lives. Of course, students must 

also learn to seek all kinds of social support activities and use others’ power to 

gain personal growth, improving self-efficacy. 

There are still some shortcomings in this research that need to be improved in 

future research. First of all, this study adopts a cross-sectional design to reveal the sim-

ultaneity relationship between loneliness, general self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. 

Studies have shown that loneliness has a significant upward trend in adolescence. Ado-

lescents in grades 7 and 8 spend more time alone than children in grades 5 and 6, and 

their attitude towards being alone is more favorable (Liu et al., 2013). Therefore, it is 

necessary to adopt a tracking design in the future to examine the development and 

changes of Left-behind children’s loneliness, general self-efficacy, and satisfaction with 

life over a more extended period, as well as possible dynamic connections, in order to 

fully and deeply clarify the impact of loneliness on satisfaction with life of children of a 

certain age in the context of Left-behind. Secondly, this study only reveals the influence 

of general self-efficacy on satisfaction with life. According to Bandura’s self-efficacy 

theory, self-efficacy is affected by individual success experience, others’ substitution 

experience, verbal persuasion, and physical and emotional states. In the future, based on 

existing research, tentative interventions can be made on the general self-efficacy of 



Jiang et al. Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction with Life in Left-Behind Middle School Students. 

Vol.6, No. 2, 2020 819 

Left-behind children to clarify the mechanism of general self-efficacy between loneli-

ness and satisfaction with life more clearly and comprehensively.  

Conclusions 

This study draws the following conclusions: 

1. The loneliness experience of Left-behind middle school students is signifi-

cantly higher than that of non-left behind middle school students. The lone-

liness experience of girls is significantly higher than that of boys. 

2. The general self-efficacy of Left-behind middle school students is signifi-

cantly lower than that of non-left behind middle school students. The self-

efficacy of live-in-school Left-behind students is significantly higher than 

that of non-live-in-school Left-behind students. 

3. The level of satisfaction with Left-behind middle school students’ life is 

significantly lower than that of non-left behind middle school students. 

However, there is no significant difference in factors such as gender, live-

in-school, an only child. 

4. Loneliness negatively predicts general self-efficacy and satisfaction with 

the life of Left-behind middle school students. General self-efficacy plays 

an intermediary role in the relationship of loneliness, predicting satisfac-

tion with life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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9202.2017.23.095 

Received: 30 September 2020 

Revised: 08 November 2020 

Accepted: 27 October 2020 

 

 

 

https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2011.09.014
https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2011.09.014
https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2014.02.038
https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2014.02.038
https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1005-9202.2017.23.095
https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1005-9202.2017.23.095

	OriginalArticle-RonghuaYing-BECE_title_23Nov2020
	OriginalArticle-RonghuaYing-BECE_Maintex23Nov2020

