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Childhood Circumstances and Mental Health in Old Age: A Life Course Survey in China

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  • Huoyun Zhu

    (School of Public Administration and Emergency Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

  • Mengting Liao

    (School of Public Administration and Emergency Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

Abstract

Current evidence and research of the life course approach on the association between life experiences and health in old age are fragmentary. This paper empirically examines the “long arm” effect of the childhood circumstances on mental health in later life using a large longitudinal dataset (CHARLS) conducted in 2014 and 2015. We operationalize the childhood circumstances as family economic conditions, community environment, and peer network to include the meaningful content and understand their interaction. The SEM results indicate that effects of those factors contributing to older people’s mental health are unequal and vary among age groups and genders. Of those, peer network in childhood determines to a large extent the mental health through the whole life course, while economic conditions and community environment are weakly associated with mental health. Furthermore, we find a distinct interaction mechanism linking those variables. The peer network completely mediates the effect of the community environment on the mental health of older adults and has a partial mediating effect on the economic conditions. Those findings suggest that social policies aimed at promoting older people’s mental health in the context of the active ageing and health ageing strategy should go beyond the old age stage and target social conditions early in childhood.

Suggested Citation

  • Huoyun Zhu & Mengting Liao, 2021. "Childhood Circumstances and Mental Health in Old Age: A Life Course Survey in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6420-:d:574507
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yinan Yang & Yingying Meng & Pengtao Dong, 2020. "Health, Security and Participation: A Structural Relationship Modeling among the Three Pillars of Active Ageing in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Mark Hayward & Bridget Gorman, 2004. "The long arm of childhood: The influence of early-life social conditions on men’s mortality," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(1), pages 87-107, February.
    3. Zhenmei Zhang & Danan Gu & Mark D. Hayward, 2008. "Early Life Influences on Cognitive Impairment Among Oldest Old Chinese," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 63(1), pages 25-33.
    4. Ming Wen & Danan Gu, 2011. "The Effects of Childhood, Adult, and Community Socioeconomic Conditions on Health and Mortality among Older Adults in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(1), pages 153-181, February.
    5. Haas, Steven, 2008. "Trajectories of functional health: The 'long arm' of childhood health and socioeconomic factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 849-861, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nia Murniati & Badra Al Aufa & Dian Kusuma & Sudijanto Kamso, 2022. "A Scoping Review on Biopsychosocial Predictors of Mental Health among Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-13, September.

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