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The mechanisms underlying the negative effect of depression on life satisfaction among the elderly: the roles of ostracism and economic income

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2021

Lei Shao Open the ORCID record for Lei Shao [Opens in a new window] ,
Guoliang Yu  and
Denghao Zhang
Lei Shao
Affiliation:
School of Education, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Guoliang Yu
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Denghao Zhang*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Denghao Zhang, Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Objectives:

Depression is prevalent among older persons, which seriously threatens their life satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the internal mechanisms by which depression influences life satisfaction among the elderly, as well as the mediating and moderating effects of ostracism and economic income, respectively, in a sample of rural older adults across China.

Design:

This was a cross-sectional survey conducted as part of the project “Thousands of People and Hundreds of Villages (2019).”

Setting:

Participants were rural older adults from 31 provincial-level administrative units across China.

Participants:

The sample composed of 1,754 participants aged 60 years and over.

Measurements:

Depression was assessed with the depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, life satisfaction with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, ostracism with the Ostracism Experience Scale (OES), and economic income and other control variables with related demographic scales. Moderation and mediation analyses were performed using the regression-based approach as conducted by Hayes (2013).

Results:

Depression negatively predicted life satisfaction among the elderly. Ostracism played a partially mediating role between depression and life satisfaction. Economic income moderated the effect of depression and ostracism on life satisfaction: High economic income weakened the negative effect of depression on life satisfaction and enhanced the negative effect of ostracism on life satisfaction.

Conclusion:

Improving depressed elderly people’s interpersonal relationships and financial support could improve their life satisfaction.

Keywords

depressionlife satisfactionostracismeconomic income
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 34 , Special Issue 8: Issue Theme: Geriatric Mental Health among Chinese Older Adults , August 2022 , pp. 715 - 724
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2021

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