Prevalence and related influencing factors of depression symptoms among empty-nest elderly in China

With the rapid aging of China's population, the number of empty-nest elderly who have no children or whose children have left home is increasing, and empty nests are gradually becoming a family life pattern for the elderly population. This change has implications for their mental health. The research data were sourced from the 2020 China health and retirement longitudinal study. The center for epidemiologic studies depression scale was used to assess the prevalence of depression among this population. Logistic regression was employed to analyze the influencing factors of depressive symptoms. The overall prevalence of depression symptoms among empty-nest elderly is 40.2%. Multivariate logistic regression results show that higher education, having a spouse, living in an urban area, self-rated good health, frequent contact with children, high life satisfaction, and having a pension are protective factors against depressive symptoms among empty-nest elderly. Conversely, being female, having difficulties with activities of daily living, chronic diseases, physical pain, short sleep duration, frequent drinking, and living in impoverished households are risk factors in this population. It is crucial to prioritize the prevention and treatment of depression in empty-nest elderly, particularly among groups such as female elderly, those in rural areas, and those with poorer economic conditions.