Cognitive And Psychological Health Implications Of Living Alone Among Middle-Aged And Older Adults In China

This study examines the associations between living alone and psychological and cognitive health and explores the moderating effects of age, gender, marital status, social engagement and family income among middle-aged and older adults in China. Data is drawn from a longitudinal sample of 9,469 participants in the 2010 and 2014 waves of the China Family Panel Study (CFPS). Cognitive health is captured by scores on word and math tests. Psychological health is measured by depressive symptoms. The results show that living alone has no health benefits in this sample of middle-aged and older Chinese, though it seems to be injurious for psychological health among the unmarried and detrimental to cognitive health for men. Study implications are discussed, specifically the need for more research into the mediating and moderating effects of the link between living alone and health.