Doubling up: A gift or a shame? Intergenerational households and parental depression of older Europeans

Soc Sci Med. 2015 Jun:134:12-22. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.03.056. Epub 2015 Mar 31.

Abstract

The Great Recession has brought along a rearrangement of living patterns both in the U.S. and in Europe. This study seeks to identify the consequences of a change in intergenerational coresidence on the depression level of the elderly. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and a difference-in-difference propensity score matching approach, this study finds robust evidence of a positive effect of coresidence on the mental health of the older generation in those European countries historically marked by a Catholic tradition. In contrast with previous literature, the present program evaluation setup accounts for non-random selection bias and heterogeneous treatment effects. Though heterogeneous across Europe, the results highlight that, in a time marked by increasing demographic aging, intergenerational living arrangements can lead to significant improvements in the quality of life of older individuals.

Keywords: Aging; DID; Doubling up; Europe; Matching; Mental health; Wellbeing.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging / psychology*
  • Depression / prevention & control*
  • Europe
  • Family Characteristics*
  • Female
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Intergenerational Relations*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parents*
  • Propensity Score
  • Quality of Life / psychology
  • Shame*