Lee Jaewon, Allen Jennifer
School of Social Work, Inha University, Incheon 22212, South Korea.
School of Social Work, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
World J Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 19;15(7):107489. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i7.107489.
Economic inequality is a persistent global issue with profound implications for mental health, particularly among older adults. Previous studies have largely focused on objective economic well-being indicators such as income, employment status, and poverty. While these factors are crucial, emerging evidence suggests that welfare benefits and subjective economic well-being components of what can be deemed augmented economic well-being, may play equally significant roles in shaping psychological health among aging populations. This research explores how disparities in these aspects contribute to psychological distress in older adults. We highlight the role of financial security, government assistance programs, and personal economic satisfaction. We propose policy interventions to mitigate adverse effects and emphasize the need for a holistic approach to economic well-being to improve mental health outcomes in older adults. This study reveals that subjective financial security and access to welfare benefits often surpass income as predictors of mental health. These insights underscore the importance of broadening economic frameworks in aging research and developing integrated policies to enhance financial and psychological well-being.
经济不平等是一个长期存在的全球性问题，对心理健康有着深远影响，尤其是在老年人中。以往的研究主要集中在客观经济福祉指标上，如收入、就业状况和贫困。虽然这些因素至关重要，但新出现的证据表明，福利和主观经济福祉等可被视为增强经济福祉的组成部分，在塑造老年人口心理健康方面可能发挥同样重要的作用。本研究探讨了这些方面的差异如何导致老年人的心理困扰。我们强调了经济安全、政府援助计划和个人经济满意度的作用。我们提出了政策干预措施以减轻不利影响，并强调需要采取整体方法来实现经济福祉，以改善老年人的心理健康结果。这项研究表明，主观经济安全和获得福利往往比收入更能预测心理健康。这些见解强调了在老龄化研究中拓宽经济框架以及制定综合政策以提高经济和心理健康水平的重要性。
