In a Health & Social Care in the Community study published today (October 8, 2019) of 10,105 older adults in China examined in 2011, 2013, and 2015, living in neighborhoods with a higher level of neighborhood social participation was related to lower rates of depression.
A higher level of neighborhood social participation is related to more time spent on physical activities and a greater frequency of interaction with neighbors and with their own children.
“We highlight the importance of social participation—both at the individual and neighborhood levels—in improving older people’s mental health and discuss ways in which the government could encourage older people to participate in neighborhood affairs in China,” said corresponding author Zhixin Feng, Ph.D., of the University of Southampton, in the UK.
Reference: “Relationship between neighborhood social participation and depression among older adults: A longitudinal study in China” by Ruoyu Wang MPhil, Zhixin Feng PhD, Ye Liu PhD and Yi Lu PhD, 8 October 2019, Health & Social Care in the Community.
DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12859
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