Spousal and Child Relationship Satisfaction and Depression in Later Life : A Moderated Mediation Effect of Older Adults’ Gender

We examined the moderated mediation effect of gender on the relationship between marital satisfaction and depression among older adults using satisfaction with the parent-child relationship as a mediator. Our study was based on data from 5,681 participants in the 2020 National Survey of the Elderly who were aged 65 years and older and had both a spouse and at least one child. We used the Preacher’s Model 8 method to determine the indirect effects of our moderated mediation and analyzed our findings using SPSS 25.0 software.<br/> We found that (1) both marital satisfaction and satisfaction with the parent-child relationship were significantly negatively associated with depression; and (2) satisfaction with the marital relationship had a positive effect on the parent-child relationship, which in turn, mediated the relationship between marital satisfaction and depression. In other words, a higher quality marital relationship led to increased satisfaction with parent-child relationship, which, in turn, reduced symptoms of depression. This indirect pathway was moderated significantly by gender: In older male adults, marital satisfaction had a more direct and inhibitory effect on depression than a satisfactory parent-child relationship.<br/> By contrast, older female adults responded more strongly to the indirect effect of the parent-child relationship on depression, which suggests a tendency for older mothers to rely on emotional support from their children, especially when their satisfaction with the marital relationship is low.<br/> These findings provide empirical evidence that family relationships later in life function as interconnected systems rather than independent dyads. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of incorporating both the quality of the family relationship and difference in gender when designing interventions to improve mental health among older adults.