The Impact of Inter-Generational Relationships on Depressive Symptoms in Elderly Parents in Rural Jammu, India

Background: Given the paucity of literature in the Jammu region on intergenerational relationships that contribute to a connected society promoting empathy and family support, this study was undertaken to evaluate its effect on depressive symptoms in older parents. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of intergenerational relationships between aging parents and their adult children. Setting and design: A cross-sectional study conducted in Darsopur village in R S Pura block, Jammu district. Methods and Material: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 male and female adults living in Darsopur village in RS Pura block of Jammu district. Study participants were selected using two-stage simple random sampling. Results were determined by ANOVA and binary logistic regression using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 20.0. Results: The mean score with standard deviation for the Geriatric Depression Score was 3.97 ± 3.78, indicating a lower level of depressive symptoms. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that consensual normative solidarity was inversely associated with depression. Conclusions: The present research results showed a higher mean score of solidarity between parents and their children, which can be attributed to the fact that the study was conducted in rural India.