Depression and social support between China’ rural and urban empty-nest elderly

The average depression score among rural empty-nest elderly was 14.57 ± 5.43, significantly higher than the urban average of 13.18 ± 6.51.

• Significant differences in gender, education level, marital status, economic status, self-perceived income, insurance, children visit frequency, and religious beliefs were found between rural and urban empty-nest elderly (p<0.05).
• Rural empty-nest elderly reported higher levels of depression compared to their urban counterparts.
• Objective support scores differed significantly between rural and urban empty-nest elderly (p<0.05).
• The study highlights disparities in depression and social support among empty-nest elderly based on their living environment.

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