The Impact of Living Alone and Intergenerational Support on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Mexican Americans: Does Gender Matter?

Journal Article (Journal Article)

The study examined gender differences in the impact of living alone and intergenerational support on depressive symptoms among Mexican American older adults. The sample included 335 parent-adult child pairs which are nested within 92 Mexican American respondents, because each respondent reported their specific relationships with each child. Clustered regression analysis showed gender differences in the impact of living alone and intergenerational support on depressive symptoms among Mexican American older adults. In general, older men provided and received less intergenerational support than older women, but their depressive symptoms were more susceptible to living alone and different types of intergenerational support. Factors such as living alone, receiving instrumental support were associated with more depressive symptoms in older men than inolder women, whereas older men benefited more from the emotional closeness with children than older women. The findings highlight the need for a gender-specific approach to future research on this topic.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Pei, Y; Cong, Z; Wu, B

Published Date

  • April 2020

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 90 / 3

Start / End Page

  • 255 - 280

PubMed ID

  • 30897917

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1541-3535

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0091-4150

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1177/0091415019836099

Language

  • eng