Depression status among empty nest elderly in China

Gong et al. (2018) states that depressive symptoms and empty phenomenon of elderly people in rural areas is one of the major public health issues in China, which has one of the largest elderly population in the world. It is estimated that elderly people aged 60 years and more account for 15.5% of the Chinese population. In addition, empty-nest elderly families make up nearly 25% of older households in the country, which is projected to reach 90% by 2030. This implies that the country has entered a period of rapid aging, which has significantly increased in the 21st Century (Zhou et al., 2019). As the aging population increases, China continues to witness an increase in empty-net families due to the shrinking average family size (Zhang et al., 2019). Empty-nest elderly people are individuals aged 60 years and more who do not live with their children though they may live with a spouse or alone (Zhou et al., 2019).
Since empty nesters are increasing in China, they have become an urgent social and public health problem. This is primarily because of their deteriorating physiological capabilities and functions. As age increases, empty nesters face significant physiological deterioration and a wide range of psychosocial problems. Some of the major psychosocial problems faced by this population include anxiety disorders, loneliness, and depression. Depression is generally one of the major psychiatric issues facing elderly people and has severe impacts on their health status and wellbeing (Zhang et al., 2019). Empty nesters in China are increasingly vulnerable to depression because of their poor health status. The increased vulnerability of these people to depression is attributable to the feeling emerging from their living conditions and arrangements (Wang et al., 2019). Additionally, empty nesters in China are vulnerable to depression because of poorer economic situations.
Historically, empty nesters in China have always been vulnerable to depression and other mental health issues because of their physiological and socio-economic status. As they become older, these individuals become weaker and experience physical, physiological, and psychological changes. Since they live without their children and alone or with a spouse, they adopt living conditions that are not suitable to support their health status and wellbeing (Liang & Wu, 2014). Consequently, they develop a wide range of mental health issues, particularly depression (Zhai et al., 2015). Moreover, most empty nesters in China live in rural settings, which are associated with poorer economic conditions. Poorer economic conditions combine with decreased self-care abilities to increase the risk of depression and other mental health issues among empty nesters. Due to their socio-economic statuses, empty nest elderly people in China live in rural settings where they contend with poorer living conditions, which exacerbates their health status and increases risk of chronic diseases.
Lu et al. (2019) suggests that some contemporary aspects have also increased the risk of depression among empty nesters. Some of the contemporary aspects linked to the risk of depression in this population include lack of social support and poor health promoting lifestyles. Empty nesters lack adequate support from family and friends though social support has been identified as a protective factor of their health (Xie et al., 2010). Given their socio-economic conditions, these individuals do not engage in health promoting lifestyles or health seeking behaviors. China is also grappling with inadequate housing and community facilities for the aging population (Liang & Wu, 2014). The lack of adequate housing and community facilities for this population is partly attributable to the increase in the number of people requiring such facilities. In essence, China is in a phase of rapid aging, which generates more demand for suitable housing and community facilities for the elderly. The rapid increase of the aging population implies that existing facilities are unable to meet demands.
References
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Zhang, C., Xue, Y., Zhao, H., Zheng, X., Zhu, R., Du, Y., Zheng, J. & Yang, T. (2019). Prevalence and Related Influencing Factors of Depressive Symptoms Among Empty-nest Elderly in Shanxi, China. Journal of Affective Disorders, 245, 750-756.
Zhou, J., Xiao, L., Zhou, Y., Rui, G. & Ni, X. (2019). The Depression Status of Empty Nesters in Eastern Rural China. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 47(2), 1-9.