Intergenerational support and older adults mental health in rural China: evidence and policy implications

Front Public Health. 2026 May 11;14:1780185. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1780185. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Mental health problems among the rural older adults pose a major challenge in contemporary China, where adult children have a crucial role in addressing this issue. However, the mental health experiences of rural older adults remain comparatively underexplored in existing research, particularly in contrast with their urban counterparts.

METHODS: Data were collected through face-to-face surveys with 975 adults aged 60 and over from two rural counties with distinct socioeconomic contexts: Kunshan in Jiangsu Province (an economically developed population inflow area, N = 431) and Yudu in Jiangxi Province (a typical central China population outflow area, N = 544). This design enabled examination of intergenerational support dynamics across different migration contexts.

RESULTS: Intergenerational support, especially economic (β = 0.1819, p < 0.1) and emotional support (β = 0.6427, p < 0.01), significantly enhances the mental health of rural older adults, both directly and by influencing perceived intergenerational intimacy. Yet, adherence to the traditional value of “raising children for old-age support” weakens this positive effect by instrumentalizing parent-child relationships. Moreover, the effects of intergenerational support on mental health vary across regions and between genders.

DISCUSSION: The need for policies that not only account for regional and gender differences but also challenge traditional values of child-based old-age support to better promote the mental wellbeing of rural older adults in China.

PMID:42200116 | PMC:PMC13199362 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1780185