研究旨在考察隔代照料與中老年人心理健康的關系以及家庭親密度的中介作用。采用流行病調查中心抑郁量表(CES-D)、生活滿意度量表(SWLS)和家庭環境量表(FES-CV)親密度分量表測量中老年人抑郁癥狀、生活滿意度和家庭親密度。自編隔代照料問卷測量中老年人的隔代照料頻率。共計325位45歲及以上有照顧孫輩經驗的社區中老年人參加了問卷調查。結果發現:第一,隔代照料強度與中老年人的抑郁癥狀、生活滿意度存在顯著負相關;第二,家庭親密度部分中介了隔代照料與抑郁癥狀、生活滿意度的負向關系。結果表明,隔代照料對中老年人心理健康既有積極作用,也有消極作用,家庭親密度在一定程度上部分中介了上述關系。

This study examined the association between the grandparenting and mental health, and the mediating role of family cohesion.The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale(CES-D), Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS), and Family Cohesion subscale of Family Environment Scale(FES) were used to assess depressive symptoms, life satisfaction and family cohesion,respectively. A self-developed questionnaire with a single item measured frequency of grandparents’ caring for grandchildren. Data were collected through a community survey. A total of 325 community-dwelling grandparents(aged ≥ 45) years were investigated.The results showed that caregiving frequency was negatively associated with both depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, which indicated that the grandparenting had both positive and negative effects on grandparents’ mental health. Moreover, family cohesion partially mediated the relationship between caregiving frequency and depressive symptoms, and the relationship between caregiving frequency and life satisfaction. In conclusion, the grandparenting had both positive and negative roles in mental health of middle aged and elderly people as grandparents, and family cohesion partially mediated the above relationship.