Effect of parental absence during infancy and early childhood on cognition and depression in later life: A national household longitudinal study

Background: Early life experiences may have a persistent influence throughout life. However, little is known about the effect of parental absence during infancy and early childhood on offspring's cognition and risk of depression.

Methods: Data were obtained from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). We examined the effect of parental absence during infancy and early childhood on cognitive development and depression in later life using weighted linear regression models. A series of sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were also conducted.

Results: Parental absence during infancy and early childhood was associated with poor mathematics performance and high depression scores measured 8 years later. The coefficients of association between parental absence and math test performance and depression were -0.012 (95%CI: -0.024, -0.001, P = 0.031) and 0.009 (95%CI: 0.001, 0.017, P = 0.028) in adjusted models, respectively. Moreover, a similar association was observed among children who were females, urban dwellers, and had more years of education.

Limitations: Recall bias may exist for the exposure measure, and the current study cannot control residual confounders.

Conclusion: Long parental absence during infancy and early childhood may attenuate the cognitive process and increase risk of depression in later life, indicating the necessity of parental care as an intervention initiative.