Intergenerational Solidarity and Mental Health in Chinese American Families: A Dyadic Approach

Existing family and caregiving studies have primarily focused on the mental health of either older adults or adult children. Less is known about the effect of intergenerational relations on the mental health of both generations. This study examined the association between intergenerational solidarity and mental health among older Chinese Americans and their adult children using a dyadic analysis, considering the gendered nature of these relationships.

This study included 214 father-child and 339 mother-child dyads. Four indicators of intergenerational solidarity (emotional closeness, contact frequency, upward emotional support, upward financial support) and mental health (anxiety, depression, loneliness) were assessed in both generations. Actor–Partner Interdependence Models were used.

Greater emotional closeness with their adult children reported by mothers was associated with better mental health in mothers, whereas children’s reported emotional closeness with fathers, but not with mothers, was associated with better mental health in children. Daily contact reported by fathers and adult children showed a positive association with their respective mental health. Higher upward emotional support reported by fathers, mothers, and children was associated with mental health in each respective group. Higher upward financial support reported by fathers and mothers was linked to better mental health in each respective group.

These findings enrich the intergenerational solidarity model by showing how intergenerational solidarity shapes well-being across generations in immigration contexts, varying by solidarity dimension and parental gender. The results suggest that targeted mental health interventions, such as fostering emotional support within immigrant families, may promote well-being for both generations.