Revisiting the association between grandparenting and mental health in China: New evidence from the harmonized CHARLS

IF 3.6 3区医学 Q2 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry Pub Date : 2024-03-28 DOI:10.1002/gps.6083

Youhua Wang, Chunhong Xiao, Di Wu, Yue Li

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Abstract

Background

In the context of the global aging challenge, an increasing number of middle-aged and older adults (MAOAs) are engaging in grandparenting. However, the effect of grandparenting on the mental health of caregivers has shown inconsistent findings. To effectively promote healthy aging, it is imperative to adopt a comprehensive perspective and employ a rigorous approach to further investigate the relationship between these two social phenomena.

Methods

The data from the Harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were analyzed, focusing on MAOAs with at least one grandchild. Mental health assessments used the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale scale. The study employed a series of difference-in-differences (DID) models, especially complemented by propensity score matching, to evaluate the average treatment effect for the treated (ATT) on mental health of caregivers, considering covariates like personal and family characteristics. The intervention perspective includes both the provision and cessation of grandparenting.

Results

The study found that providing grandchildren care does not have a significant effect on the mental health of grandparents, in comparison to those who have never engaged in such care (ATT = −0.172, T = 0.65, p = 0.517 in the PSM-DID model). Furthermore, ceasing this care also appears to have no substantial effect on the mental health of the caregivers, relative to individuals who have consistently offered grandchildren care (ATT = 0.060, T = 0.26, p = 0.795 in the PSM-DID model). Furthermore, subsequent robustness analyses consistently supported these findings, even when considering data from different survey waves.

Conclusions

In contrast to many prior studies that have reported either positive or negative effects, our research reveals that grandparenting exerts no significant effect on the mental health of MAOAs. Consequently, health practitioners and policymakers should carefully consider the diverse cultural context when tailoring interventions and support strategies.

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重新审视中国祖辈养育与心理健康之间的关系：来自统一CHARLS的新证据。

背景：在全球老龄化挑战的背景下，越来越多的中老年人（MAOAs）开始从事祖辈养育工作。然而，祖辈养育对照顾者心理健康的影响研究结果并不一致。为了有效地促进健康老龄化，必须采用全面的视角和严谨的方法来进一步研究这两种社会现象之间的关系：方法：分析了《中国健康与退休纵向研究》（Harmonized China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study）的数据，重点关注至少有一名孙辈的 MAOA。心理健康评估采用流行病学研究中心抑郁量表。考虑到个人和家庭特征等协变量，研究采用了一系列差分（DID）模型，并特别辅以倾向得分匹配，以评估被治疗者对照顾者心理健康的平均治疗效果（ATT）。干预视角包括提供和停止祖孙护理：研究发现，与从未从事过孙辈照料的祖父母相比，提供孙辈照料对祖父母的心理健康没有显著影响（ATT = -0.172，T = 0.65，PSM-DID 模型中的 p = 0.517）。此外，相对于一直照顾孙辈的人而言，停止这种照顾似乎也不会对照顾者的心理健康产生实质性影响（ATT = 0.060，T = 0.26，PSM-DID 模型中 p = 0.795）。此外，即使考虑到不同调查波次的数据，后续的稳健性分析也一致支持这些发现：与之前许多研究报告的积极或消极影响不同，我们的研究表明，祖父母养育子女对亚博app客服生的心理健康没有显著影响。因此，医疗工作者和政策制定者在制定干预措施和支持策略时，应仔细考虑不同的文化背景。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

6.10

自引率

2.50%

发文量

168

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The rapidly increasing world population of aged people has led to a growing need to focus attention on the problems of mental disorder in late life. The aim of the Journal is to communicate the results of original research in the causes, treatment and care of all forms of mental disorder which affect the elderly. The Journal is of interest to psychiatrists, psychologists, social scientists, nurses and others engaged in therapeutic professions, together with general neurobiological researchers. The Journal provides an international perspective on the important issue of geriatric psychiatry, and contributions are published from countries throughout the world. Topics covered include epidemiology of mental disorders in old age, clinical aetiological research, post-mortem pathological and neurochemical studies, treatment trials and evaluation of geriatric psychiatry services.