Impact of late parent-child relationship changes on parental depression: a longitudinal aging panel study

Abstract

Background: The global population of older adults is increasing, and late-life depression is becoming a significant issue. A strong relationship with one's children is a potential factor in alleviating the risk of late-life depression. This study explored the importance of parent-child relationships, including contact, meetings, and financial support, and examined their association with depressive symptoms in older parents.

Methods: Data were collected from 4,476 participants who completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale- 10 items (CES-D 10) questionnaire from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2020). Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of parent-child relationships over time on depressive symptoms, while accounting for individual differences.

Results: An active change in the parent-child relationship status (no → yes) was associated with lower depressive symptoms (men: odds ratio [OR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.47-0.83; women: OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.51-0.88) than no change in relationship (no → no). Maintaining monthly contact (men: OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.47-0.78; women: OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.50-0.81), meeting 2-6 times per year (men: OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.56-0.95; women: OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.60-0.97), and financial support (men: OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54-0.92; women: OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.57-0.93) were each associated with reduced parental depression.

Conclusions: Among older parents, a transition toward a more active parent-child relationship was associated with reduced depressive symptoms. Therefore, promoting parent-child relationships must be considered an important component of mental health interventions.