Retirement and grandchild care in China: mental health consequences and policy implications.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In China's rapidly aging society, retirement and grandchild caregiving are two critical life transitions for older adults. This study examines how these dynamics jointly relate to depressive symptoms among older adults and explores their implications for coordinating elder-care and childcare policies.

Methods

Using data from the 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS; ages 40-75; N = 7,730), we estimate OLS and IV-2SLS models. Gender-specific statutory retirement ages (men 60, women 55) serve as instruments for retirement. Depressive symptoms are measured using the standardized CES-D10 scale. Covariates include parent-child satisfaction, caregiving status and intensity, health status, marital status, household size, education, urba

SUBMITTER: Mou Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12505542 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature