Gender convergence or divergence in the relationship between late-life depression and multiple stressors: evidence from a national survey in China.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate gender convergence or divergence among older adults in China, a Confucian society with strong persistence of gender role differentiation. We examined how multiple stressors influence depression simultaneously, with gender comparison approach. The data were drawn from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey study (N = 8,097). Results indicated that older women reported significantly higher levels of depression than men, yet overall depressive symptoms showed many gender similarities. Surprisingly, our analyses supported the hypothesis of gender convergence in stressors predicting late-life depression. Recommendations for practice and further research priorities based on findings are discussed.