Neighborhood, social cohesion, and the Elderly's depression in Shanghai

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 229; pp. 134 - 143
• Main Authors: Miao, Jia, Wu, Xiaogang, Sun, Xiulin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2019; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Aging; Chinese elderly; Dependency; Depression; Disadvantaged; Elder care; Family support; Housing policy; Mental depression; Neighborhood; Neighborhoods; Neighbors; Older people; Participation; Population aging; Social cohesion; Social engagement; Social networks; Socioeconomic status; Symptoms; Well being; Depression; Chinese elderly; Social cohesion; Neighborhood; Social engagement
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.022

Neighborhood plays an important role in the provision of elderly care in the context of rapid population aging and dwindling traditional family support in China. This study investigates the association between neighborhood characteristics and depression and its mechanisms among older adults in Shanghai, focusing on social cohesion and social engagement. Based on data from the first wave of Shanghai Urban Neighborhood Survey (SUNS), we show that social cohesion is a channel through which neighborhood attributes are linked with the elderly's subjective well-being. Different from findings in Western societies, Chinese older adults living in neighborhoods of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to interact with their neighbors and thus perceive a higher level of social cohesion. Social cohesion, in turn, is associated with a lower rate of depression. We argue that housing policy in the pre-reform period that integrated work and housing led to the formation of unique Chinese neighborhoods, and that those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods have strong social ties, which moderate the negative consequences of living in a disadvantaged one. Moreover, a neighborhood with a lower dependency ratio provides more opportunities for volunteer participation which significantly associates with increased social cohesion and decreased depressive symptoms. •Social cohesion is a mechanism of neighborhood effect on depression.•The elderly in poorer neighborhoods are more likely to interact with neighbors.•The elderly in poorer neighborhoods perceive a higher level of social cohesion.•Social cohesion is associated with decreased depression among the Shanghai elderly.•Social cohesion mediates the relationship between social engagement and depression.