School of Sociology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
College of State Governance, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 4;20(4):2791. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20042791.
Improving the mental health of the elderly has become an important strategic goal of healthy aging, among which employment is regarded as an essential factor for the mental health of the elderly. This study adopted ordinary least squares, ordered logit, propensity score matching (PSM), and KHB mediation analysis to examine the influence and mechanism of employment on mental health in older Chinese adults using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey of 2018. The study found that employment positively impacts older adults' mental health in China. This promotive effect of employment was significant for more senior people aged up to 80 years old with lower educational backgrounds and rural household registration. In addition, individual annual income, the financial support provided to children, and support received from children significantly mediate the realization of employment improving older people's mental health. Our findings are expected to provide valuable insight into delayed retirement and active aging in China. Therefore, the government must play the role of support and advocacy to promote employment and safeguard the well-being of older adults.
提高老年人的心理健康已成为健康老龄化的一个重要战略目标，其中就业被视为老年人心理健康的一个重要因素。本研究采用普通最小二乘法、有序逻辑回归、倾向得分匹配（PSM）和 KHB 中介分析，利用 2018 年中国健康与退休纵向调查的数据，考察了就业对中国老年成年人心理健康的影响及其机制。研究发现，就业对中国老年人的心理健康有积极影响。对于教育程度较低、农村户籍的 80 岁以上的高龄人群，这种就业的促进作用更为显著。此外，个人年收入、子女提供的经济支持以及子女的支持显著调节了就业改善老年人心理健康的实现。我们的研究结果有望为中国的延迟退休和积极老龄化提供有价值的见解。因此，政府必须发挥支持和倡导的作用，促进就业，保障老年人的福祉。
