Prevalence and factors influencing depression among empty nesters in China: A meta-analysis

BackgroundEmpty nesters are older people who live alone or an older couple without children to care for them. In China, empty nesters make up a significant community and are more likely to experience emotional issues, particularly depression. This study investigated the prevalence of depression and the factors influencing depression among Chinese home-bound empty nesters using meta-analysis.MethodsBased on previous studies, we used search terms relating to empty nesters and depression in English and Chinese. Databases, including China Journal Full Text Database (CNKI), Wanfang, Wipu, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and UptoDate, were searched in April 2022, for relevant articles. Details including names of authors, year of publication, region of investigation, study type, sample size, depression detection scale, depression detection rate, and influencing factors were captured. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed based on the I-2 index, and data analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software.ResultsA total of ten research articles involving 5337 Chinese empty nesters were evaluated in the present meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of depression among empty nesters in China was 43%. The prevalence of depression among urban empty nesters was 38% (95% CI: 0.24,0.52), and 36% (95% CI: 0.18,0.55) among rural empty nesters. Many factors, including female, income, marital status, chronic illness, relationship with children, and social support were linked to depression among urban empty nesters.ConclusionThe prevalence of depression among empty nesters was 43%. Therefore, based on the factors influencing depression, government departments can intervene early to improve the mental health of empty nesters.LimitationsThe meta-analysis only included cross-sectional studies. Therefore, there is a need for more future original studies investigating depression among empty nesters in China.

Automated summary

This study conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the prevalence of depression and the factors influencing depression among home-bound empty nesters in China. The results showed that the overall prevalence of depression among empty nesters was 43%, and several factors such as gender, income, marital status, chronic illness, relationship with children, and social support were found to be significantly associated with depression among urban empty nesters. Based on the factors influencing depression, early intervention by government departments can help improve the mental health of empty nesters.