Economic Pressure on Rural Spiritual Filial Support: Alexithymia Mediates and Dual Filial Piety Moderates

ABSTRACT Objective This study examined the impact of economic pressure on spiritual filial support (SFS) provided by adult children in rural China, examining alexithymia as a mediator and dual filial piety as a moderator. Background Given faster population aging in rural China and continued reliance on family‐based care, adult children's SFS is crucial to older adults' quality of life. Method An online questionnaire survey yielded 1935 valid responses. The Chinese Rural Adult Children's SFS Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Dual Filial Piety Scale, and Economic Pressure Scale were used. Results Economic pressure significantly and negatively predicted SFS, and alexithymia mediated the relationship between economic pressure and SFS. Reciprocal filial piety positively moderated the “economic pressure → alexithymia” relationship, higher levels amplifying the impact of economic pressure on alexithymia. Authoritarian filial piety negatively moderated the “economic pressure → SFS” relationship, higher levels mitigating the negative effect of economic pressure on SFS. Conclusion Alexithymia mediated the relationship between economic pressure and SFS, with dual filial piety exhibiting differentiated moderating effects on this relationship. Implications This study provides theoretical and practical insights for enhancing the quality of SFS provided by rural adult children to their parents.