Association between Social Interaction and Depressive Symptoms among Middle-aged and Elderly Adults in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

Objective To explore the effect of social interaction on depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly adults in China. Methods Data from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analyzed. Participants were divided into social interaction and non-social interaction groups. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to balance confounding factors, and the average treatment effect (ATT) of social interaction on depressive symptoms was estimated. Binary logistic regression analyzed influencing factors. Results A total of 14,741 subjects (76.26%) were included; 9,869 (66.91%) participated in social interaction, and 5,593 (37.94%) had depressive symptoms. After PSM, social interaction significantly negatively affected depressive symptoms (ATT=-0.04, P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression revealed that those with social interaction had a lower risk of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.87, P < 0.05), particularly males (OR = 0.53, P < 0.05). However, older age (60–69: OR = 1.20; 70–79: OR = 1.24), poorer self-rated health (general: OR = 2.20; poor: OR = 4.48; very poor: OR = 7.70), lower satisfaction (general: OR = 1.67; dissatisfaction: OR = 8.10), and infrequent meetings with children (every six months: OR = 1.20; less than half a year: OR = 1.27) were associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms (P < 0.05). Conclusion Middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults have a high risk of depressive symptoms, and social interaction significantly reduces this risk. Promoting social interaction and mental health initiatives can improve the health of middle-aged and elderly individuals.