ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1601168
Impacts of Financial, Caregiving, and Emotional Support on Mental Health: Case of Hypertensive Patients in China
Provisionally accepted
Jing Tan
Chuan Pu*- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Background：Hypertension and mental disorders, particularly depression, significantly impact Asia's elderly. Alleviating depression in elderly hypertensive patients can significantly enhance their quality of life. This study evaluates the mental health status of hypertensive patients over 60 who do or do not provide intergenerational family support.Methods：Using 2020 CHARLS data, we analyzed 4,851 hypertensive patients aged ≥60.Intergenerational family support was categorized into financial, daily caregiving, and emotional support, with mental health measured via the Chinese CESD-10. Multivariate linear regression and propensity score matching (PSM) assessed mental health changes from different support types. Heterogeneity analysis examined differences across age, gender, education, and urban-rural areas.Results：Caregiving (β = -0.78, p < 0.01) and emotional support (β = -0.56, p < 0.05) significantly reduced depressive symptoms in elderly hypertensive patients, while financial support showed no significant impact. Sensitivity tests confirmed these results. Subgroup analyses revealed greater benefits for women (emotional support: β = -0.77), rural residents (emotional support: β = -0.59), and those aged ≥75 (caregiving support: β = -2.26).Conclusion：Non-material intergenerational support, especially caregiving and emotional involvement, is crucial for alleviating depression in elderly hypertensive patients, whereas financial support has little effect. Policies should prioritize psychosocial interventions over financial aid, particularly for vulnerable groups like women, rural residents, and the elderly aged ≥75.
Keywords: Mental Health, Depression, Intergenerational support, older adults, Hypertension
Received: 03 Apr 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tan and Pu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chuan Pu, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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