Influence of intergenerational relationships on depressive symptoms in ageing Chinese adults in Hong Kong: Mediating effects of sense of loneliness

BACKGROUND: Mental health of older adults could be positively predicted by harmonious parent–adult children relationships, although the mechanism has not been sufficiently demonstrated. This study employed sense of loneliness as mediator to examine the influence of multiple domains of intergenerational relationships on depressive symptoms in ageing Chinese adults. METHODS: Data was extracted from a representative survey in Hong Kong among Chinese adults aged over 50 with at least one adult child (n = 801). Four key domains (structural–associational, consensual–normative, affectual closeness, and intergenerational conflict) were adopted to measure the intergenerational relationship quality. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the five-item Geriatric Depression Scale. The mediating role of sense of loneliness in the association between intergenerational relationships and depressive symptoms were tested by the PROCESS macro in SPSS. RESULTS: The influence of overall intergenerational relationship quality and its four subdomains on depressive symptoms were significantly mediated by sense of loneliness. Among the four domains, affectual closeness presented the strongest association with older people’s depressive symptoms. The effect of intergenerational conflict on depressive symptoms was completely mediated by sense of loneliness, and the effects of remaining three domains were partially mediated. The domain of consensual–normative solidarity received the lowest rating by Chinese older adults. CONCLUSION: The psychological pathway that loneliness links intergenerational relationships and depressive symptoms was supported in this study. With respect to improving intergenerational relationships, enhancing affectual connection between older parents and adult children was essential to prevent mental problems. This study calls for more attention to the protective role of diverse social relationships in improving mental health through multiple pathways.