Configurational Effects of Intergenerational Support on older adults’ depression: An empirical study from CHARLS data

Abstract

Background: Intergenerational support is a crucial factor influencing the psychological well-being of older adults. The interactions between various dimensions of intergenerational support and the diverse effects of different configuration of these factors on older adults’ depression still require further investigation. Method: Utilizing the 2018 data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), this study employs the Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) method to analyze the configurational effects of intergenerational support on older adults’ depression. Result: Single-dimensional intergenerational support cannot be considered a necessary condition for influencing older adults’ depression. The configurational effects of intergenerational support across different dimensions serve as sufficient conditions for older adults’ depression. The consistency parameter for all solution configurations in this study is 0.83, with a coverage of 0.61. The research identifies four types of configurational patterns associated with older adults’ depression: "Unidirectional Care Deficiency Type" (consistency mean of 0.84, coverage of 0.49), "Bidirectional Care Deficiency Type" (consistency mean of 0.86, coverage of 0.33), "Bidirectional Economic Deficiency Type" (consistency mean of 0.85, coverage of 0.48), and "Mixed Type" (consistency mean of 0.83, coverage of 0.23). Conclusion: The configurational effects of intergenerational support across different dimensions contribute to an increase in the levels of older adults’ depression. It is advocated to adopt a holistic perspective when examining the intricate connection between intergenerational support and older adults’ depression. Furthermore, it is important to pay attention to maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between receiving and providing intergenerational support.