School of Philosophy and Social Development, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Scand J Public Health. 2013 Aug;41(6):550-2. doi: 10.1177/1403494813490252. Epub 2013 Jun 5.
The 30-plus years of the One Child Policy has brought about a new "childless" elderly phenomenon in China and this group is expanding rapidly. These elderly parents who lose their only child are forced to endure psychological suffering and cope with health problems alone, as they are often ignored by society. The aim of this study is to explore the psychological trauma and living dilemma among older Chinese people who lose their only child and to discuss the support and health care to this newly vulnerable group in China.
In-depth interviews with 34 childless older people were conducted in three districts in Beijing.
The study shows that the death of only child causes an unbearable psychological trauma for elderly parents, who display prominent clusters of symptoms. Moreover, the childless elderly frequently encounter discrimination in their lives and they feel neglected by the government and society.
Although several local governments have launched schemes to support the childless elderly, the gap in assistance is still vast. Support from the government is essential in relieving the difficulties currently faced by the childless elderly, and the difficulties they face in the future. This includes two major aspects: health and life care, and spiritual comfort.
独生子女政策实施三十多年来，中国出现了新的“无子女”老年人群体，且这一群体正在迅速扩大。这些失去独生子女的老年父母被迫独自承受心理痛苦，应对健康问题，他们往往被社会所忽视。本研究旨在探讨失去独生子女的中国老年人的心理创伤和生活困境，并讨论对这一新弱势群体的支持和医疗保健措施。
在北京三个区对 34 名无子女的老年人进行了深入访谈。
研究表明，独生子女的死亡给老年父母带来了难以承受的心理创伤，他们表现出明显的症状群。此外，无子女的老年人在生活中经常受到歧视，他们感到被政府和社会忽视。
尽管一些地方政府已经推出了支持无子女老年人的计划，但援助差距仍然很大。政府的支持对于缓解无子女老年人目前面临的困难以及他们未来面临的困难至关重要。这包括健康和生活护理以及精神慰藉两个主要方面。
