照料孙辈对我国农村中老年人心理健康的影响

Impact of babysitting grandchildren on the mental health of mid-aged and elderly people in rural China

本文使用中国健康与养老追踪调查的面板数据,分析了照料孙辈对农村中老年人抑郁和生活满意度的影响,并进一步探讨了不同居住安排下的照料行为对其心理健康影响的差异。研究发现:(1)照料孙辈对农村中老年人抑郁症状频率有正向影响,对农村流动中老年人的生活满意度有负向影响,但对农村非流动中老年人的生活满意度有正向影响;(2)不和子女、孙辈居住且照料孙辈的农村中老年人生活满意度为好的概率最高,隔代居住且照料孙辈的农村流动中老年人生活满意度为好的概率最低,三代同堂居住且照料孙辈的农村非流动中老年人生活满意度为好的概率最低;(3)代际情感支持比代际经济支持更有利于农村中老年人的心理健康。基于上述结论,本文认为政府应支持兴办农村婴幼儿托管服务机构,为农村流动中老年人提供社会支持服务,支持子女与父母保持“一碗汤的距离”居住,倡导子女增强对父母的精神慰藉。

Based on the “China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study” surveydata,this paper analyzes the effects of babysitting grandchildren on depression and life satisfaction of mid-aged and elderly people in rural China,to further explore the differences in the mental health effects of these people under different living arrangements. The study found that:(1) Babysitting grandchildren has a negative impact on the depression of the rural mid-aged and elderly people, and has a negative impact on the life satisfaction of the rural floating mid-aged and elderly people,but has a positive impact on the life satisfaction of the rural non-floating mid-aged and elderly people;(2) The rural mid-aged and elderly people who babysit their grandchildren but do not live with their children and grandchildren have the highest probability of life satisfaction, the rural floating mid-aged and elderly people who babysit their grandchildren but only live with their grandchildren have the lowest probability of life satisfaction, and the rural non-floating mid-aged and elderly people who babysit their grandchildren and live with their children and grandchildren have the lowest probability of life satisfaction;(3) Intergenerational emotional support is more conducive to the mental health of rural mid-aged and elderly people than intergenerational economic support. Based on the above findings, this paper suggests that the government should support the establishment of rural infant and child care services, provide social support services for rural floating mid-aged andelderly people, support children and their parents to live separately, and encourage children to enhance their spiritual comfort to their parents.