Abstract: A sense of hope is one of the core concepts of positive psychology and is an important psychological quality for rural left-behind children to prevent psychological or behavioral problems. A low level of hope is not conducive to the healthy growth of children. The survey found that the hope level of left-behind children in Village D of Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, was low. Academic achievement, parent-child relationship, interpersonal relationship, and social support network were the main influencing factors. It is urgent to improve left-behind children’s academic ability, foster their family relationships, promote their interpersonal interactions and expand their social support network, so as to enhance their sense of hope in these areas. This study uses hope therapy, guided by hope cognitive theory and rational emotive behaviour therapy, to conduct group interventions to enhance the sense of hope of left-behind children. Practice has shown that group work is effective in enhancing the sense of hope of rural left-behind children. It is recommended to strengthen parent-child communication, enhance the cultivation of positive psychological qualities in schools for left-behind children, create a positive community atmosphere for caring for left-behind children, and accelerate the construction of a social work team for caring for left-behind children.

Key words: rural left-behind children, sense of hope, group work, intervention study