Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate mental health and personality traits of rural children without parental care because of parents working outside the hometown.MethodsWith SCL-90 and CPQ scale,we random sampled 670 children without pareatal care and 708 common children in the rural and made the investigation.ResultsThe score of anxiety of elementary school children without parental care was significantly higher than that of common children.Ten factor scores of junior high school children without parental care were significantly higher than those of common children.The score of excitability of elementary school children without parental care was significantly higher than that of common children,and the scores of accommodation,intelligence and stability of junior high school children were significantly lower than those of common children.The scores of melancholy,sub-factorⅠ(anxiety)and sub-factor Ⅲ(nervosity)of junior high school children without parental cane were significantly higher than those of common children.ConclusionLiving alone in hometown puts negative influences on children's mental health and junior high school children without parental care have more mental problems.