Does Living Alone Jeopardize Seniors’ Mental Health? Evidence from China

Abstract

Introduction: Solitary living has gradually gained popularity in China. From a spatial perspective, this trend weakens the emotional connections between parents and children, a fundamental concept in Confucianism. This has raised concerns about the mental health of older adults who live alone. Despite prior research having evaluated the influence of solitary living on seniors’ mental health in different cultures, there remains controversy about these conclusions. Methods: This article adopted fixed effect model to analyze three sets of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study based on different family cultures reflected by living arrangements and mental health. Results: The results indicate that living alone reduces seniors’ depression levels by 0.322 (P< 0.01). The positive effects generated by solitary living on seniors’ mental health originate from living close to their children. This living style effectively balances the need for individual independence and the demand for maintaining close family relationships, reconciling intergenerational family cultures.Differences in family cultures are also identified between rural and urban areas. This study indicates that living alone is good for the mental health of seniors in rural areas; however, no significant effects were found for older adults in urban areas. This difference is likely because living distantly from their children has increased the depression levels of seniors in urban areas. Discussion: As living close to their children positively impacts seniors’ mental health, policymakers are advised to focus on enhancing local government’s capabilities to absorb employment. Special emphasis should be placed on incentivizing migrant workers in urban areas to consider returning to their hometowns to initiate entrepreneurial ventures or seek employment opportunities.