Aging & Mental Health ( IF 3.4 ) Pub Date : 2021-06-12 , DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2021.1935455 Yunjun Li 1 , Wallace Chi Ho Chan 1 , Honglin Chen 2 , Maosheng Ran 3
Abstract
Objectives: Based on the stress-coping framework, this study examined the role of coping styles and perceptions of aging in the relationship between widowhood and depression through two alternative pathways—mediation and moderation—with a national probability sample of older adults in China.
Method: The data came from the baseline wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey of 2014. Our final sample featured 8,404 older adults.
Results: The results of structural equation modeling showed a good fit for the total sample (NFI = .909, IFI = .916, GFI = .963, RMSEA = .038) and indicated the significant direct impact of widowhood on depression among Chinese older adults. Moreover, the findings of mediating effects found compared with a married group, widowed older adults used less problem-focused coping and had more negative perceptions of aging, which in turn, predicted higher depression; they were also more likely to use emotion-focused coping, which in turn, predicted lower depression. The results of moderation analysis demonstrated that a higher level of negative perceptions of aging significantly worsened the adverse effects of widowhood on depression.
Conclusion: Overall, our findings highlight the importance of a cognitive approach to targeting programs for widowed older adults in China, with a focus on strengthening their abilities to alter maladaptive copings styles and reauthor their life narratives.