Anat Roll1, Howard Litwin. 1. Israel Gerontological Data Center, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between financial transfers from older parents to their adult children and mental health among the parents. The analysis examined the act of transfer-giving, the extent of transfers given and the purpose of the transfer in relation to depressive symptoms. METHOD: This study was a secondary analysis of data gathered in the first wave of the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analysis focused upon persons from the majority Jewish elderly cohort, aged 50 years and older, who had living children (N = 1795). Respondents' scores on the Euro-D Depression Scale were regressed on the three financial transfer measures, controlling for age, gender, marital status, household income, health and functional status. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate a significant inverse relationship between the giving of financial transfers and the number of depressive symptoms of the giver, above and beyond the effects of gender, marital status, income, health status and functional status. The extent of giving was positively related. CONCLUSION: The findings support a positive association between acceptable levels of financial giving in late life and mental health. This association is explained as the result of altruistic motivations for giving. Maintenance of viable levels of income security for the older population and promotion of acceptable intergenerational transfers from them to their adult children will benefit both sides of the generational divide.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between financial transfers from older parents to their adult children and mental health among the parents. The analysis examined the act of transfer-giving, the extent of transfers given and the purpose of the transfer in relation to depressive symptoms. METHOD: This study was a secondary analysis of data gathered in the first wave of the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analysis focused upon persons from the majority Jewish elderly cohort, aged 50 years and older, who had living children (N = 1795). Respondents' scores on the Euro-D Depression Scale were regressed on the three financial transfer measures, controlling for age, gender, marital status, household income, health and functional status. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate a significant inverse relationship between the giving of financial transfers and the number of depressive symptoms of the giver, above and beyond the effects of gender, marital status, income, health status and functional status. The extent of giving was positively related. CONCLUSION: The findings support a positive association between acceptable levels of financial giving in late life and mental health. This association is explained as the result of altruistic motivations for giving. Maintenance of viable levels of income security for the older population and promotion of acceptable intergenerational transfers from them to their adult children will benefit both sides of the generational divide.
Authors: M J Prince; F Reischies; A T Beekman; R Fuhrer; C Jonker; S L Kivela; B A Lawlor; A Lobo; H Magnusson; M Fichter; H van Oyen; M Roelands; I Skoog; C Turrina; J R Copeland Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 1999-04 Impact factor: 9.319
Authors: John R M Copeland; Aartjan T F Beekman; Arjan W Braam; Michael E Dewey; Philippe Delespaul; Rebecca Fuhrer; Christopher Hooijer; Brian A Lawlor; Sirkka-Liisa Kivela; Anthony Lobo; Halgrimur Magnusson; Anthony H Mann; Ingeborg Meller; Martin J Prince; Friedel Reischies; Marc Roelands; Ingmar Skoog; Cesare Turrina; Marten W deVries; Kenneth C M Wilson Journal: World Psychiatry Date: 2004-02 Impact factor: 49.548