Mass Relocation and Depression Among Seniors in China
Abstract
The study applies the stress process model to investigate the relationship between state-organized relocation (mass internal migration) and depression among older people in a rural region of Central China. The study is based on primary data that our research team collected on 613 respondents from 25 villages in November–December 2011 and 507 respondents from 36 villages in March–April 2013. Two-stage probit least squares models assess the impact of relocation on depression and whether social support influences this relationship. Our findings demonstrate that migrants have higher levels of depression than nonmigrants, after controlling for selection into migration and risk factors. However, postmigration losses of emotional, instrumental, and financial support do not account for the gap in depression between migrants and nonmigrants. Levels of depression are similar between nonmigrants and migrants relocated for infrastructure projects, poverty alleviation, or disaster management. Only migrants relocated to conserve sensitive ecological areas have higher levels of depression than nonmigrants. This suggests that project-induced displacement is not as detrimental for the mental health of seniors as previous studies demonstrate it is for younger people. Agency is an important factor in postmigration outcomes. Migrants who can self-determine their place of resettlement have more favorable outcomes than others.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
Aneshensel C. S. (2009). Toward explaining mental health disparities. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 50, 377–394.
Angel J., Angel R. J. (1992). Age at migration, social connections, and well-being among elderly Hispanics. Journal of Aging and Health, 4, 480–499.
Elder G. H., Jr (1985). Perspectives on the life course. In Elder G. H Jr. (ed.), Life course dynamics: Trajectories and transitions, 1968-1980 (pp. 23–49). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Government of Ankang Region. (2010). Ten-year relocation and settlement plan in Ankang. Ankang, China: Author.
Government of Shaanxi Province. (2010). Ten-year relocation and settlement plan in Southern Shaanxi. Xi’an, China: Author.
Greene W. H. (2012). Econometric analysis (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Guo M., Aranda M. P., Silverstein M. (2009). The impact of out-migration on the inter-generational support and psychological wellbeing of older adults in rural China. Ageing and Society, 29, 1085–1104.
Hwang S., Cao Y., Xi J. (2010). Project-induced migration and depression: A panel analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 70, 1765–1772.
Hwang S., Cao Y., Xi J. (2011). The short-term impact of involuntary migration in China’s three gorges: A prospective study. Social Indicators Research, 101, 73–92.
Hwang S., Xi J., Cao Y., Feng X., Qiao X. (2007). Anticipation of migration and psychological stress and the Three Gorges Dam project, China. Social Science & Medicine, 65, 1012–1024.
Liang Z., Ma Z. (2004). China’s floating population: New evidence from the 2000 census. Population and Development Review, 30, 467–488.
Little R. J. A., Rubin D. B. (2002). Statistical analysis with missing data. New York, NY: Wiley.
Litwak E., Longino C. F. (1987). Migration patterns among the elderly: A developmental approach. The Gerontologist, 27, 266–272.
Liu Z., Lei H. (1999). Social attitudes of the Three Gorges migrants in post-migration adjustment. Population Study 23: 18–23.
Longino C. F., Perzynski A. T., Stoller E. P. (2002). Pandora’s briefcase: Unpacking the retirement migration decision. Research on Aging, 24, 29–49.
Luo G. (2012). China’s family support system: Impact of rural-urban female labor migration. In Chen S., Powell J. L. (eds.), Aging in China: Implications to social policy of a changing economic State (pp. 99–126). New York, NY: Springer.
Maddala G. S. (1983). Limited-dependent and qualitative variables in economics. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Pearlin L. I., Lieberman M. A., Menaghan E. G., Mullan J. T. (1981). The stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22, 337–356.
Radloff L. (1997). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.
Rogers S., Wang M. (2006). Environmental resettlement and social dis/re-articulation in Inner Mongolia, China. Population and Environment, 28, 41–68.
Sheng L. (2007). Analysis of the determinants of rural labor migration in China. China Rural Survey, 3, 2–9.
Thoits P. A. (2011). Mechanisms linking social ties and support to physical and mental health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52, 145–161.
Tong Y., Piotrowski M. (2012). Migration and health selectivity in the context of internal migration in China, 1997–2009. Population Research and Policy Review, 31, 497–543.
Walters W. H. (2002). Place characteristics and later-life migration. Research on Aging, 24, 243–277.
Webber M., McDonald B. (2004). Involuntary resettlement, production, and income: Evidence from Xiaolangdi, PRC. World Development, 32, 673–690.
Wilmsen B., Webber M., Duan Y. (2011). Involuntary rural resettlement: Resources, strategies, and outcomes at the Three Gorges Dam, China. The Journal of Environmental Development, 20, 355–380.
Wu Z., Penning M. J., Zeng W., Li S., Chappell N. L. (2013, 12 13–16). Relocation and social support among older adults in rural China. Paper presented at the Health Systems in Asia: Equity, Governance, and Social Impact Conference, sponsored by Social Science and Medicine, Singapore.
Xi J., Hwang S. (2011). Relocation stress, coping, and sense of control among resettlers resulting from China’s Three Gorges Dam Project. Social Indicators Research, 104, 507–522.
Xi J., Hwang S., Feng X., Qiao X., Cao Y. (2007). Perceived risks and benefits of the Three Gorges Project. Sociological Perspectives, 50, 323–337.
Xi J., Hwang S., Drentea P. (2013). Experiencing a forced relocation at different life stages: The effect of China’s Three Gorges project-induced relocation on depression. Society and Mental Health, 3, 59–76.
Xue L., Wang M. Y., Xue T. (2013). “Voluntary” poverty alleviation resettlement in China. Development and Change, 44, 1159–1180.
Zhang H. (2009). The new realities of aging in contemporary China: Coping with decline in family care. In Sokolovsky J. (ed.), The cultural context of aging: Worldwide perspectives (pp. 196–215). Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Biographies
Weihong Zeng is an associate director of the Centre for Aging and Health Research and an associate professor in School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China.
Zheng Wu is a professor of sociology at the University of Victoria, Canada.
Christoph M. Schimmele is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria, Canada.
Shuzhuo Li is the director of Institute for Population and Development Studies and Changjiang professor of demography and public policy in School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: September 22, 2014
Issue published: October 2015
Keywords
PubMed: 25651588
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Article usage*
Total views and downloads: 429
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 9 view articles Opens in new tab
Crossref: 13
- How is intergenerational emotional cohesion linked to depression among...
- Differentiating intentions and competence: Exploring living environmen...
- Latent class analysis of symptoms of depression and anxiety among olde...
- The relationship of internal migration and depressive symptoms as well...
- A multi-perspective review of the impact of a workplace relocation on ...
- Livelihood adaptive capacities and adaptation strategies of relocated ...
- Relationship between Intergenerational Emotional Support and Subjectiv...
- Older residents’ sense of home and homemaking in rural-urban resettlem...
- Effects of disaster-related resettlement on the livelihood resilience ...
- Stress and depression among Chinese new urban older adults: A moderate...
- Exploring Livelihood Resilience and Its Impact on Livelihood Strategy ...
- Practice Responses to Climigration
- Rural Households’ Poverty and Relocation and Settlement: Evidence from...
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Get access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
