School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
School of Business, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, China.
Front Public Health. 2021 Oct 27;9:746580. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.746580. eCollection 2021.
A rising rate of suicide among the elderly in rural China has been recognized to be triggered by mental health-associated factors. This study uses 3,397 sampled rural elderly adults from China Labor-force Dynamic Survey in 2016 to explore the response mechanism through which non-agricultural employment participation by the elderly adults in rural China can influence their mental health. Utilizing the Multivariate Regression, Instrumental Variable and Propensity Score Matching methods, we find that, the rural elderly adults who participate in local non-agricultural employment significantly improve their mental health. Self-employment tends to have a greater positive contribution to the mental health of the elderly population than waged employment. Further, work income, need for belongingness and respect, and human capital development significantly mediates the influence of participation in local non-agricultural employment on the mental health of the elderly adults. Finally, we put forward relevant policy suggestions to improving the mental health of the elderly in the countryside.
中国农村老年人自杀率不断上升，其原因与心理健康因素有关。本研究使用了 2016 年中国劳动力动态调查中的 3397 名农村老年人样本，探讨了农村老年人参与非农就业对其心理健康的影响机制。通过多元回归、工具变量和倾向得分匹配方法，我们发现，参与本地非农就业的农村老年人的心理健康明显改善。自营职业对老年人群体心理健康的积极贡献大于受雇就业。此外，工作收入、归属感和尊重的需要以及人力资本发展显著调节了参与本地非农就业对老年人心理健康的影响。最后，我们提出了相关政策建议，以改善农村老年人的心理健康。
