Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the role of social participation in the relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults and investigate how the internet use interact with social participation to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms. Methods Based on the survey from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2018, we identified 4645 subjects and used the Ordinary Least Square method (OLS) and Propensity Score Matching method (PSM) to identify the association between Internet use and depression of older people, and further test how social participation played a role in the relationship. Results The level of depression of older people was significantly reduced in those who using internet in China, and the effect was still robust under different identification methods. The mental health was improved when using internet because of the increase of social participation and social capital. Further, The positive effect was stronger especially in those who were female, living in rural areas, has low education attainments and were 70–79 years old. Conclusions The popularity of internet use has a positive effect on the depressive symptoms of Chinese older adults. Effective measures were encouraged to improve the friendliness of internet for older people and promote the popularization of the Internet and older group, achieving the spiritual well-being of them in the Internet society.

PurposeThe social support theory suggested that involving older people in social activities could increase their level of social participation and interaction, which in turn improved their well-being. However, there has been a heated controversy about whether participating in volunteer services could enhance the well-being of older people, especially for the Chinese sample.MethodBased on the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2013, this paper used an ordered probit model to examine the impact of older people's participation in volunteer services on their well-being, as well as the differences in the impact across groups and the specific transmission mechanism.ResultThe empirical study found that Chinese older people's participation in volunteerism significantly enhanced their well-being, which remained robust after eliminating the possible effects of self-selection. Further heterogeneity analysis revealed that for female, non-party members and older adults with good economic status, participation in volunteerism has a higher increase in well-being. The mediating effect test indicated that older people's participation in volunteerism affected well-being mainly through enhancing positive emotions.ConclusionIt is necessary to promote the participation of older people in volunteer services and to clarify the role of government support and advocacy. Proper guidance is given to change the role of older people as care recipients to that of service providers and caregivers, and to continuously enrich the programmes and content of volunteer service to safeguard the well-being of older people.

As a major event in the later stages of women's lives, retirement affects the mental health status and quality of life of female retirees. Based on data from the second, fourth, and fifth rounds of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper empirically examined the effect of retirement on depression levels among Chinese female workers using regression discontinuity and found that retirement significantly reduced female depression levels. On average, female depression scores would decrease by 3.399 points after retirement, and this result is robust. Further heterogeneity analysis found that retirement did not significantly improve depression levels and may even exacerbate depression among retired women with smaller family size, no spouse, and no intimate relationship; women with less than high school education and better self-rated health significantly reduced their depression due to the occurrence of retirement behaviors; and women working in corporate units or manual laborers possessed lower depression levels after retirement. Additionally, this paper further compared and analyzed the change in depression in men before and after retirement and found that retirement did not significantly reduce the level of depression in men. The significance of this paper is that, based on the fact that retirement is more beneficial to women's mental health, the mental health of working women should be fully considered when implementing a delayed retirement policy, and corresponding supporting policies should be implemented to minimize the negative effects of extended working hours. Considering the differences in the effects of retirement on depression levels of different groups of people, more social support can be given to those groups lacking social support and family support, such as women with smaller families, no spouse or no intimate relationships; for female workers in enterprises and manual laborers, their willingness to delay retirement can be respected.

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