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How do living arrangements and intergenerational support matter for psychological health of elderly parents? Evidence from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand

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  • Teerawichitchainan, Bussarawan
  • Pothisiri, Wiraporn
  • Long, Giang Thanh

Abstract

Living arrangements and family support for older persons have become an increasingly important policy concern in developing and rapidly aging Asia. Formulating a sound elderly care policy for the region will benefit from empirically examining how living arrangements, particularly coresidence, and intergenerational exchanges of financial, instrumental, and emotional support are associated with old-age psychological health. This study analyzes data from nationally representative aging surveys in Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand for 2011–2012 to offer a comparative perspective from Southeast Asia where various kinship systems coexist. Results suggest that coresidence with a child of culturally preferred gender significantly improves the emotional health of Vietnamese and Thai elders but with different implications. In Vietnam, living with a married son is more beneficial to parents' psychological wellbeing than living with other children. In Thailand, coresidence regardless of the child's gender improves old-age psychological wellbeing but living with a daughter brings greater benefits than living only with son. Evidence points to the importance of understanding the dominant kinship system that may shape normative filial expectations and gender role expectations within the family. In Vietnam and Thailand, the positive association holds even after intergenerational support is controlled, suggesting that the value of culturally preferred coresidence goes beyond practical functions. In Myanmar, there are almost no significant differences in psychological wellbeing among elderly across various living arrangements, except between coresidence and network living arrangements. For all settings, we do not find evidence in support of network family arrangements as a complete substitute for coresidence in terms of promoting old-age psychological wellbeing after filial support is controlled. Our study highlights important cultural nuances for theorizing the nature of the relationship between living arrangements and old-age psychological health, and presents the important need for more rigorous investigation of the causal links between these two phenomena in future research.

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  • Teerawichitchainan, Bussarawan & Pothisiri, Wiraporn & Long, Giang Thanh, 2015. "How do living arrangements and intergenerational support matter for psychological health of elderly parents? Evidence from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 136, pages 106-116.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:136-137:y:2015:i::p:106-116
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.05.019
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    1. Nhan, Dang Thanh, 2019. "The Role of the Family in Daily Care of the Elderly in the Light of the Changing Situation in Rural Areas of Vietnam," Village and Agriculture (Wieś i Rolnictwo), Polish Academy of Sciences (IRWiR PAN), Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, vol. 184(3), September.
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    3. Bo Kyong Seo & Ji Hye Kim, 2022. "Intergenerational Coresidence and Life Satisfaction in Old Age: The Moderating Role of Homeownership," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3199-3216, October.
    4. Zoya Gubernskaya & Zequn Tang, 2017. "Just Like in Their Home Country? A Multinational Perspective on Living Arrangements of Older Immigrants in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(5), pages 1973-1998, October.
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    6. Na Li & Mang He, 2023. "Intergenerational Support and Subjective Wellbeing of the Elderly in Mainland China: The Role of Perceived Health," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, March.
    7. Teerawichitchainan, Bussarawan & Prachuabmoh, Vipan & Knodel, John, 2019. "Productive aging in developing Southeast Asia: Comparative analyses between Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 161-171.
    8. Thin Nyein Nyein Aung & Myo Nyein Aung & Saiyud Moolphate & Yuka Koyanagi & Mariko Ichikawa & Siripen Supakankunti & Motoyuki Yuasa, 2021. "Estimating Service Demand for Intermediary Care at a Community Integrated Intermediary Care Center among Family Caregivers of Older Adults Residing in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, June.
    9. Curtis Huffman & Ricardo Regules-García & Delfino Vargas Chanes, 2019. "Living arrangement dynamics of older adults in Mexico: Latent class analysis in an accelerated longitudinal design," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(50), pages 1401-1436.
    10. Thin Nyein Nyein Aung & Myo Nyein Aung & Saiyud Moolphate & Yuka Koyanagi & Siripen Supakankunti & Motoyuki Yuasa, 2021. "Caregiver Burden and Associated Factors for the Respite Care Needs among the Family Caregivers of Community Dwelling Senior Citizens in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-15, May.
    11. Zhan Shu & Jinguang Xiao & Xianhua Dai & Yu Han & Yingli Liu, 2021. "Effect of family "upward" intergenerational support on the health of rural elderly in China: Evidence from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-21, June.
    12. Tosi, Marco & Grundy, Emily, 2018. "Returns home by children and changes in parents’ well-being in Europe," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 99-106.
    13. Pataporn Sukontamarn & M. Niaz Asadullah & Nopphawan Photphisutthiphong & Yen Thi Hai Nguyen, 2023. "Happiness in Old Age: The Daughter Connection," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 1729-1757, June.
    14. Andre Pekerti & Quan-Hoang Vuong & Tung Manh Ho & Thu-Trang Vuong, 2017. "Health Care Payments in Vietnam: Patients’ Quagmire of Caring for Health versus Economic Destitution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-23, September.
    15. Zi-qing Yuan & Xian Zheng & Eddie C. M. Hui, 2021. "Happiness Under One Roof? The Intergenerational Co-residence and Subjective Well-Being of Elders in China," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 727-765, February.
    16. Joseph Asumah Braimah & Mark W. Rosenberg, 2021. "“They Do Not Care about Us Anymore”: Understanding the Situation of Older People in Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, February.
    17. Ke Shen & Feinian Chen & Hangqing Ruan, 2021. "The mixed blessing of living together or close by: Parent–child relationship quality and life satisfaction of older adults in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(24), pages 563-594.

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