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Stigma of Losing an Only Child

Implications for Public Perceptions of Bereavement Adversities and Prosocial Tendencies in China

Bibliographic Data

ID13628909
AuthorsJinfeng Li (0000-0003-3772-0821, Beijing Normal University), Meng Huo (0000-0002-0060-1151, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA), Lin Gao (0009-0004-1613-1774, Beijing Normal University), Dahua Wang (0000-0003-2828-2532, Beijing Normal University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Pages302228241303254-302228241303254
Publication date2024-11-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00302228241303254
PMID39588636
OpenAlexW4404722177
LanguageEN
References cited32

Given the one-child policy (1979-2016), many bereaved parents (mean age ˃ 60 years) in China have lost their only child. Yet, the social environment in which these parents continue their lives is little known. The current study drew on data from 2029 Chinese adults ( M age = 36.62 years, SD age = 10.06, range = 18-71) who anonymously completed questionnaires about their negative attitudes towards the bereaved parents (i.e., stigma of losing an only child), perceptions of adversities faced by these parents, and prosocial tendencies (willingness to provide personal help and expectations for government support). In total, 44% of the participants held moderate to high levels of stigma of losing an only child. Participants with greater stigma reported fewer adversities faced by the bereaved parents and they were less likely to agree that the government should provide resources. Moreover, perceptions of adversities mediated the negative association between public stigma and expectations for governmental support. This study advances our understanding of the unwelcoming environment in which the vulnerable population of parents who have lost their only child live by innovatively revealing perspectives from the public

China · Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Government (linguistics · Perception · Political science · Population · Prosocial behavior · Psychiatry · Stigma (botany · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
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