Intergenerational Caregiving and Adolescent Depression in China: Mechanisms and Risk Factors

Objective:This study aims to investigate the impact of intergenerational caregiving on adolescent mental health and its underlying mechanisms,providing empirical evidence for developing intervention strategies to improve adolescent mental health. Methods: Based on data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) spanning 2010-2020, this study employed individual fixed-effects models to examine the impact of intergenerational caregiving on adolescent mental health (measured by depression risk). Additionally, Probit and Logit models were used for robustness checks. Results: The study found that intergenerational caregiving significantly increases adolescent depression risk (β=0.086, p<0.05). Heterogeneity analysis revealed that intergenerational caregiving has more pronounced effects on depression risk among female adolescents (β=0.076, p<0.05), younger adolescents (β=0.139, p<0.05), and those with rural household registration (β=0.194, p<0.05). Among adolescents with lower frequency of parent-child communication, the negative impact of intergenerational caregiving was also stronger (β=0.084, p<0.05). Mechanism analysis revealed that declining academic performance (β=-0.241, p<0.05) and reduced frequency of parent-child communication (specific indicators β=-0.1319, -0.0228, respectively, p<0.05) serve as important mediating pathways through which intergenerational caregiving increases adolescent depression risk. Conclusion: Intergenerational caregiving constitutes a significant risk factor for adolescent depression. This study not only deepens theoretical understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms through which intergenerational caregiving affects adolescent mental health but also provides evidence for identifying intergenerational caregiving families as priority groups for mental health policies and interventions, contributing to enhanced policy precision and effectiveness.