Northeast Asian Research Center, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Northeast Asian Studies College, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Front Public Health. 2021 Dec 17;9:768723. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.768723. eCollection 2021.
This study analyzes the effects of retrospective stressful life events on current depression among Chinese older people and how these effects are moderated by social support. Stressful life events comprise bereavement, divorce, health adversities, accidents, and financial losses due to fraud. Data were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) of the 2015 panel, and responses from 9,619 older people aged over 60 years were used. The least-squares regression method was applied to measure the linear effects. Propensity score matching minimized selection bias and enabled the measurement of the net effects of stressful life events. The bias-corrected matching estimator was also used to correct the inexact matching bias from propensity score matching. Experienced stressful life events and exposure to cumulative stressful life events were found to lead to depression in older people. When older people experienced stressful life events but with more social activities, and higher satisfaction and frequent contact with children, their depressive levels were lower. The results of the propensity score matching showed that stressful life events resulted in depression in older people. Furthermore, individuals with family support were able to moderate stressful life events effects; however, the moderating effects of social activity separately were negligible. In sum, with the moderating role of family support and social activity, the average differences in older people depression caused by stressful life events decreased. Experiencing stressful life events is detrimental to the psychological health of the older people. Social support, including family support and social activity, has buffered detrimental effects on depression caused by stressful life events. The study underscores the need to supply effective interventions for the older people who experienced stressful life events. First, society should improve the capability of community care centers to supply mental health services. Second, family members should pay attention to mental condition of older people, and specific support should concord with the needs of Chinese older people. In addition, support suppliers can move from being confined to kinship relationships to close relationships, such as the community partners and neighbors.
本研究分析了回顾性生活压力事件对中国老年人当前抑郁的影响，以及社会支持如何调节这些影响。生活压力事件包括丧偶、离婚、健康逆境、事故和因欺诈导致的财务损失。数据来自中国健康与退休纵向研究（CHARLS）2015 年的面板，使用了 9619 名 60 岁以上老年人的回答。最小二乘回归方法用于测量线性影响。倾向评分匹配最小化了选择偏差，并能够测量生活压力事件的净效应。偏差校正匹配估计量也用于校正倾向评分匹配的不精确匹配偏差。经历生活压力事件和暴露于累积生活压力事件与老年人的抑郁有关。当老年人经历生活压力事件但有更多的社交活动、更高的满意度和与子女频繁接触时，他们的抑郁程度较低。倾向评分匹配的结果表明，生活压力事件导致老年人抑郁。此外，有家庭支持的个体能够调节生活压力事件的影响；然而，社交活动的调节作用可以忽略不计。总之，随着家庭支持和社会活动的调节作用，生活压力事件导致老年人抑郁的平均差异减少。经历生活压力事件对老年人的心理健康有害。社会支持，包括家庭支持和社会活动，缓冲了生活压力事件对抑郁的不利影响。本研究强调了为经历生活压力事件的老年人提供有效干预措施的必要性。首先，社会应该提高社区护理中心提供心理健康服务的能力。其次，家庭成员应该关注老年人的心理状况，具体的支持应该符合中国老年人的需求。此外，支持供应商可以从仅限于亲属关系转变为更密切的关系，例如社区伙伴和邻居。
