Depressive Symptoms Trajectories over Ten Years among Older Men and Women in Japan: Does Receiving Support from Sons, Daughters and Their Spouses Protect against Depressive Symptoms?

Andrew D. Tiedt, NORC at the University of Chicago
Yasuhiko Saito, Nihon University

This research used data from the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging (NUJLSOA) to examine depressive symptoms trajectories among older Japanese with adult children from 1999 to 2009. This study found that elders who communicated dissatisfaction with their contact with children and less frequent community contact reported increased depressive symptoms across survey years. Among women, coresidence with sons and daughters correlated with reduced depressive symptoms, while there was no such effect among men. Widowhood correlated with significant increases in depressive symptoms and the effect was stronger among men than women. Although most NUJLSOA respondents coresided with sons, the significance of coresidence with daughters and support from daughters suggest the changing context of coresidence in contemporary Japan. Future studies focused on social support in Japan should consider the importance of daughters for elder mental health.