{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Late-life depressive symptoms remain a major public health concern in aging China. Although childhood adversity is a recognized risk factor for later-life depression, the concurrent conditions that statistically account for the association between early disadvantage and current emotional distress, particularly those amenable to intervention, have not been systematically examined in a parallel mediation framework.\n\nMethods: Using cross-sectional data from the 2023 wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N = 11,670), we examined associations between childhood adversity and depressive symptoms and tested whether self-rated health, internet media use, and social adaptation accounted for part of that association as parallel mediators. Childhood adversity was a composite of childhood hunger, childhood medical deprivation, and parental loss by age 10. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a nine-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Models adjusted for sociodemographic covariates and used survey weights.\n\nResults: Childhood adversity was positively associated with depressive symptoms in the total-effect model ( β = 0.439, p < 0.001; N = 10,476). In the complete-mediator sample ( N = 10,093), the corresponding total association was β = 0.348. The three concurrent measures together accounted for about 92% of this latter association in the specified model. The largest specific indirect associations were through social adaptation ( β = 0.147) and self-rated health ( β = 0.125), followed by internet media use ( β = 0.051). A bootstrap contrast did not show a statistically significant difference between the social-adaptation and health indirect associations. The remaining direct association was small and nonsignificant ( β = 0.026, p = 0.464). Subgroup analyses showed marked heterogeneity by community activity participation, residence, and family structure.\n\nDiscussion: Because the data are cross-sectional, these results describe association decomposition rather than causal transmission. Adversity-linked depressive burden in later life is concentrated in present-day health, social adaptation, and digital participation, with implications for integrated community mental health policy in China.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Government, Beijing Normal University"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhangbo An"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2gvpz8xs0ndn6.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1941289",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13686903",
  "id": "2gvpz8xs0ndn6",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1941289/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3203|Child Abuse and Trauma"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220932768",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13686903?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13686903",
  "pmid": "42923115",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2gvpz8xs0ndn6.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1941289",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1941289/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:33Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42923115",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923115"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3203|Child Abuse and Trauma",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Associations between childhood adversity and depressive symptoms in later life: parallel mediation through self-rated health, internet media use, and social adaptation among Chinese older adults",
  "title_text": "Associations between childhood adversity and depressive symptoms in later life: parallel mediation through self-rated health, internet media use, and social adaptation among Chinese older adults",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:33Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2gvpz8xs0ndn6",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Public Health",
  "versions": []
}