The Influence Of Living Arrangements On The Mental Health Of The Elderly And The Mediating Effect Of Family Support

As China's aging trend is highlighted,the mental health of the elderly is valued.In terms of living arrangements,older people may prefer aging in place,rather than in a nursing home.Because aging in place may represent their control of the environment,and they may benefit from the social networks of communities.Therefore,compared with living in institutions,aging in place is generally considered to be a policy ideal for the elderly.However,the structure of the family is becoming increasingly miniaturized,family interactions are changing,and elderly support system is still not perfect in China.The realization of aging in place is closely related to the living arrangements of the elderly,and the living arrangements can affect the family support which may affect the mental health of the elderly.Based on the literature review,combined with the social and family culture background of China,this study builds an analysis framework of the living arrangement based on Role Pressure Theory,Intergenerational Solidarity and Conflict Model and Social Exchange Theory.Then,using the framework to analyze the impact of living arrangements on the mental health of Chinese elderly.This research uses quantitative research methods of multiple regression models and Bootstrap mediation analysis models,based on the data of CHARLS 2015,to study the impact of different living arrangements on the mental health of the elderly.Besides,this paper analyzes the urban-rural and gender differences of the impacts.On this basis,this research tries to explore the mediating effect of family support on the impact.The study finds that in terms of cohabitation arrangements,living only with the spouse is most beneficial to the mental health of the elderly compared with living alone,and this effect is very significant among the various groups.In addition,living with the spouse and children also benefits the mental health of the elderly,but this impact is not significant for the old living in the city.In terms of children's living arrangements,living in the same village/community with their children is most beneficial to the mental health of the elderly,but this effect is not significant among the female elderly and those living in the city.As for the mediating role of family support,the role of spiritual support and care support in the impact of living arrangements on the mental health of elderly is significant,but family support does not play a mediating role in the impact of the children's living arrangements on the mental health of the elderly.In a word,this study shows that different living arrangements have different effects on the mental health of the elderly.The effects are different between people living in urban and rural areas,and different between older men and women.Besides,some family support plays a mediating role in this effect.Based on this conclusion,this study attempts to make recommendations from the policy level,to provide a theoretical basis,reference and basis for promoting the formulation of mental health-related policies,the improvement of the social welfare system,the construction of a multi-pension support system,and the formulation of rural pension policies for the elderly.At the same time,China's old-age security system can better meet the aging in place needs of the elderly in China,improve the mental health and the welfare of the elderly,to ensure their quality of life and achieve positive aging process.