Study On The Relationship Between The Intensity Of Caring For Grandchildren And The Mental Health Of The Older Adults In Jinan

BackgroundMost older adults play an important role as intergenerational caregivers in their families,the "three generations living together,enjoying the joy of family" is a symbol of happiness for many Chinese families.Intergenerational care is in line with China’s traditional cultural philosophy of focusing on family relationships and intergenerational inheritance,and can contribute to the increase of the "care" dividend while realizing the self-worth of the older adults.The intensity of caring for grandchildren is closely related to the mental health of the older adults,and to a certain extent,it can meet the mental needs of the older adults.Caring for grandchildren can,to a certain extent,meet the mental needs of the older adults and alleviate their depression and other negative emotions,especially in a close family environment;at the same time,caring for grandchildren can also improve family communication and enhance family cohesion.The relationship between the intensity of caring for grandchildren,family cohesion and mental health has been proved to be twofold.However,there is no consistent conclusion on the relationship between the intensity of caring for grandchildren and mental health in China and abroad,and few studies have examined the relationship between the three.Intergenerational care is an important and integral part of family care in China.Therefore,it is important to investigate the relationship between the intensity of caring for grandchildren and mental health of older adults and the mechanism of family cohesion in this relationship.ObjectivesThis study aims to understand the current situation of the intensity of caring for grandchildren and mental health of older adults in Jinan,and analyze the relationship between these two,futher investigate the mediating role played by family cohesion in this relationship.It provides a reference for improving mental health,practicing "active aging",and improving the well-being of the older adults.MethodsThis study conducted a cross-sectional study in Jinan city from August to December 2022,using whole-group stratified sampling and convenience sampling methods to collect data through on-site interviews or household surveys.A total of 265 older adults aged 60 years and above in Jinan city(Lixia District,Huaiyin District and Changqing District)were included.The survey included general demographic information,the intensity of caring for grandchildren,family cohesion and mental health status of the older adults.Data were entered and organized by Epidata,and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0.The core independent variable was the intensity of caring for grandchildren(measured by the frequency of time spent caring for grandchildren in the past 12 months,a measure used in most studies),the mediating variable was family cohesion(measured by the closeness subscale of the Chinese version of the Family Environment Scale),and the dependent variable was mental health(measured by the simplified version of the Center for Streaming Depression Scale,CES-D10,a measure used in most studies);descriptive analyses and tests of variance were conducted on general demographics,the intensity of caring for grandchildren,family cohesion,and mental health status;Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the two-by-two relationship between the intensity of caring for grandchildren,family cohesion,and mental health of older adults;multiple linear regression was used to analyze the effects of general demographics,the intensity of caring for grandchildren,and family cohesion on Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the effects of general demographic data,the intensity of caring for grandchildren,and family cohesion on mental health status;the Process V3.4 plug-in in SPSS 26.0 was used to test the mediating effect of family cohesion on the relationship between the intensity of caring for grandchildren and older adults’ mental health.ResultsThe results of this study showed that the CES-D10 score of older adults in Jinan was 10.09±5.85,and more than half of them had no depressive symptoms.Among the sociodemographic characteristics,older adults with lower age group,permanent residence in urban areas,married,retired and high social participation had lower depression scores;among the economic status characteristics,older adults with high income and relying on themselves or their partners for their main source of living had lower depression scores;among the physical health characteristics among the physical health characteristics,older adults with good self-rated health and ability to perform daily living activities and no chronic diseases had lower depression scores;among the intergenerational relationship characteristics,older adults with two generations living together,high satisfaction with children’s relationship and more intergenerational support from children’s services had lower depression scores.The lower depression scores indicated better mental health status,and all these differences were statistically significant.There was a significant negative correlation between the intensity of caring for grandchildren and depression score(F=18.72,p<0.001),a significant positive correlation between the intensity of caring for grandchildren and family cohesion(F=18.61,p<0.001),and a significant negative correlation between family cohesion and depression score(r=-0.52,p=<0.001).The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that self-rated health,daily living skills,family cohesion,and the intensity of caring for grandchildren were significantly associated with mental health.The results of the mediation effect analysis showed that the Bootstrap 95%CI for the mediation effect of family cohesion did not contain 0,indicating that family cohesion partially mediated the relationship between the intensity of caring for grandchildren and mental health,and that the intensity of caring for grandchildren could indirectly affect the mental health of older adults through the mediation effect of family cohesion,and its mediation effect accounted for 26.04%of the total effect.Conclusions and SuggestionsConclusionsThe overall mental health status of the older adults in Jinan is moderate to high,and more than half of them have no depressive symptoms.Higher intensity of caring for grandchildren was associated with better mental health;older adults in lower age groups,with permanent urban residence,in marriage,in good economic status,with high social participation,in good physical health,and with good relationships with their children had better mental health.Family cohesion partially mediates the relationship between intensity of caring for grandchildren and mental health,and the effect of intensity of caring for grandchildren on older adults’ mental health varies with family cohesion.Suggestions(1)Providing guidance and assistance to older adults in intergenerational care through health education;(2)Protecting the mental health of the older adults by enhancing family cohesion;(3)Improving policies and protection systems in housing,medical and social care.