Journal of Sociology and Social Work

The Effects of Family, Community, and Public Policy on Depressive Symptoms among Elderly Chinese
Karen A. Zurlo, Hongwei Hu, Chien-Chung Huang

Abstract
Economic reforms during the past few decades in China have been associated with migration of young Chinese from rural to urban centers. This migration as well as the one-child policy and increased longevity have affected the well-being of the elderly, who largely remain in rural residences. An erosion of the cultural tradition of filial piety has resulted and may adversely affect the mental health of a growing elderly population and increase the risk ofdeveloping depressive symptoms. We analyzed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study that were collected in 2011. These data were from anationally representative and publicly available dataset, which provided comprehensive information about individuals aged = 45 years in China. We evaluated the associations between 3 types of social support (family, community, and public) and depressive symptoms in the Chinese elderly (= 60 years) with a focus on age differentials and type of residential registration (urban or rural hukou). The results indicated that components of family, community, and public support were significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms. These components included living with a spouse, having frequent contact with children, having a senior center in the community, receiving a subsidy from the local agency, and receiving a pension. Also, the elderly living in a rural hukou had greater levels of depressive symptoms, and depressive symptoms in this population were most significantly and negatively affected by having a senior center in the community and receiving a local subsidy. Moreover, none of the three support mechanisms significantly affected the depressive symptoms of the oldest old. These results suggest that specific types of social support may negatively affect depressive symptomsand provide opportunities for targeted interventionsfrom community leaders and policy-makers that improve mental health and well-being among a growing elderly population in China.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jssw.v2n2a1