Intergenerational Support and Depression Among Elders in Rural China: Do Daughters-In-Law Matter?

This study examined the influence of intergenerational assistance with household chores and personal care from sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law on the depressive symptoms of older adults in rural China. The sample derived from rural Anhui Province, a region with a strong hierarchy of support pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 2008-08, Vol.70 (3), p.599-612
Main Authors: Cong, Zhen, Silverstein, Merril
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult Development
adult development and aging
Adults
Aged
Aging (Individuals)
Asian people
China
Chinese culture
coresidence
Data Analysis
Data Collection
Daughters
Depression
Depression (Psychology)
Depressive disorders
Elder care
Family (Sociological Unit)
Family life
Family relations
Family studies
Fathers
Foreign Countries
gender
Helplessness
Housekeeping
intergenerational
Intergenerational Relations
International Families
Interviews
Kinship
Mental depression
Mothers
non-U.S. families
Older Adults
Older people
Parent Child Relationship
Parents
Peoples Republic of China
Preferences
Rural Areas
Rural life
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Social support
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Sons
Statistical Data
Support
Urban Areas
Wellbeing
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Description
Summary:This study examined the influence of intergenerational assistance with household chores and personal care from sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law on the depressive symptoms of older adults in rural China. The sample derived from rural Anhui Province, a region with a strong hierarchy of support preferences that leads with sons and their families. We used data from a random sample of 1,281 adults aged 60 and over, who were interviewed in 2001 and 2003. Analyses indicated that depressive symptoms were usually reduced by assistance from daughters-in-law and increased sometimes when such support was from sons. These relationships held most strongly when mothers coresided with their daughters-in-law. This research suggests that the benefits of intergenerational support are conditional on culturally prescribed expectations.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00508.x