title: Does productive role occupancy prevent depression among older rural Chinese adults? A latent difference score analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression has been reported as common among older rural Chinese adults, who often face limited access to healthcare services and resources. Empirical studies conducted in the West have shown beneficial effects of productive engagement on psychological well-being. However, the mechanisms by which engagement in productive activities leads to and results from improved mental health remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Utilizing role enhancement and social resource theories, the present study investigated the relationship between productive role occupancy and depression among older Chinese adults in rural areas over 8 years. Using four waves of data from the Well-Being of Elderly in Anhui Province of China study, we employed bivariate latent different score analysis to examine the temporal sequence of productive role occupancy and depression among 1696 older adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings indicated that trajectories of productive role occupancy and depression rose across the four waves. There is evidence for self-feedback effects in productive role occupancy and depression. Depression had a significant effect on subsequent changes in productive role occupancy (β = -0.042, p = 0.000), whereas productive role occupancy had no significant effect on subsequent changes in depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mental well-being of participants worsened over time. Engaging in productive activities had no effect on mental health status, and rural older adults with poor mental health were less likely to engage in productive activities over time. Findings suggest that psychological well-being as a personal resource significantly affects how productively Chinese adults age in late life.
authors: a School of Social Work , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA.
authors: Hsin-Yi
authors: HY
authors: Hsiao
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: Iris
authors: I
authors: Chi
authors: Merril
authors: M
authors: Silverstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D058992:Social Participation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors