Association of residential environment with depression and anxiety symptoms among older adults in China: A cross-sectional population-based study

Abstract

This study, grounded in environmental psychology, investigated the correlation between residential environments and the prevalence of depression and anxiety among older adults in China. Utilizing data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, it evaluated the incidence of depression and anxiety among 11,614 participants aged 65 and above across 23 provinces in China and examined how residential factors affect mental health. The findings revealed that 26.9 % of the participants had symptoms of depression and 11.7 % had symptoms of anxiety. A logistic regression analysis highlighted a significant relationship between various aspects of the residential environment and depression and anxiety among older adults. The influence risk factors from the residential environment included, but were not limited to, not house ownership, having no one's own bedroom, living in high-rise apartment, water leakage or a musty smell in the home and having no kitchen ventilation. The study makes a novel theoretical contribution by identifying key environmental factors affecting the well-being of the elderly, thereby filling a gap in the literature regarding the influence of physical living conditions on older adults' mental health. This pioneering research, with its nationwide scope and focus on Chinese older adult population, not only advances academic understanding but also has practical implications for urban planning and public health policies that aim to improve the quality of life for the elderly through interventions targeting residential environments.