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Number of Children, Partnership Status, and Later-life Depression in Eastern and Western Europe

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  • Emily Grundy
  • Thijs van den Broek
  • Katherine Keenan

Abstract

Objectives To investigate associations between number of children and partnership with depressive symptoms among older Europeans and assess whether associations are greater in Eastern than Western countries. We further analyze whether associations are mediated by provision and receipt of emotional and financial support. Method sUsing cross-sectional data for five Eastern (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Romania, and Russia) and four Western European countries (Belgium, France, Norway, and Sweden) (n = 15,352), we investigated variation in depressive symptoms using linear regression. We fitted conditional change score models for depressive symptoms using longitudinal data for four countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, and France) (n = 3,978). Results Unpartnered women and men had more depressive symptoms than the partnered. In Eastern, but not Western, European countries childlessness and having one compared with two children were associated with more depressive symptoms. Formal tests indicated that partnership and number of children were more strongly associated with depressive symptoms in Eastern than Western Europe. Discussion Availability of close family is more strongly associated with older people’s depressive symptoms in Eastern than Western Europe. The collapse of previous state supports and greater economic stress in Eastern Europe may mean that having a partner and children has a greater psychological impact than in Western countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily Grundy & Thijs van den Broek & Katherine Keenan, 2019. "Number of Children, Partnership Status, and Later-life Depression in Eastern and Western Europe," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 74(2), pages 353-363.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:74:y:2019:i:2:p:353-363.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbx050
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Thijs van den Broek & Marco Tosi, 2020. "The More the Merrier? The Causal Effect of High Fertility on Later-Life Loneliness in Eastern Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 733-748, June.
    4. Tosi, Marco & van den Broek, Thijs, 2020. "Gray divorce and mental health in the United Kingdom," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    5. Catherin Bosle & Hermann Brenner & Joachim E. Fischer & Marc N. Jarczok & Ben Schöttker & Laura Perna & Kristina Hoffmann & Raphael M. Herr, 2022. "The association between supportive social ties and autonomic nervous system function—differences between family ties and friendship ties in a cohort of older adults," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 263-276, June.

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