A Study on the Factors Affecting the Mental Health of The Elderly: Focusing on the Comparison between Household Characteristics

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors affecting the mental health of the elderly. Based on previous studies on the effects of demographic factors, residential environment factors, and support factors on mental health of the elderly, this study, using data from the 15th Korea Welfare Panel in 2020, this study conducted a stepwise regression analysis for all households, single-person households, and cohabiting households. Our empirical analysis confirmed that the factors affecting mental health were different according to household characteristics. Specifically, in the all-household model, educational background, spouse, working status, nursing/care, and protection were significant, and in the single-family model, education and nursing/care were significant. In the cohabiting-household model, age, gender, structural strength, nursing/care, and protection were significant. As different variables appear significantly in each model, the varying household characteristics should be considered in policymaking in order to promote the mental health of the elderly. Our empirical analysis about the support factors was that the more services older persons receive, the more depressed they tend to be. Based on these results, an institutional approach that can improve the quality of services and give satisfaction to the beneficiaries should be made in the provision of nursing/care services. On the other hand, the structural strength was found to be significant among the factors of the residential environment in cohabiting households. Accordingly, policies to improve the residential environment, such as the strength of structures for the elderly's residential facilities, should should be carried out at the same time.