The Relationship Between Filial Expectations and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Intergenerational Social Support

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between filial expectations and depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults and the mediating role of intergenerational social support. A survey was administered to 310 people (age = 70.42 ± 6.24 years; male/female = 174/136; years of schooling = 7.71 ± 2.53) aged 60 years and above. The survey included the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Parent–Adult Child Social Support Questionnaire, and the Filial Piety Expectation Scale. (1) Filial expectations and intergenerational social support were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms, while intergenerational social support was positively correlated with filial expectations. (2) A mediation analysis showed that the impact of filial expectations on depressive symptoms was partly mediated by receiving intergenerational social support. (3) The indirect effects of filial expectations on depressive symptoms through receiving intergenerational social support were stronger when parents provided less intergenerational social support. Filial expectations of parents influenced depressive symptoms by affecting the intergenerational social support received from their adult children. This study has important implications for improving the physical and mental health of older adults.