The Differential Effects of Household Income on Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Different Personality Traits

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-777-4_13How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Household Income; Depressive Symptoms; Age Heterogeneity; Mental Health

Abstract

Background and Objective: With the accelerating population aging in China, late-life depression has emerged as a prominent public health concern. Household income, a core socioeconomic indicator, may exert heterogeneous effects on mental health outcomes among older adults conditional on individual personality traits. This study empirically analyzes the differential associations between household income and depressive symptoms in older adults with distinct personality characteristics, and explores the moderating role of personality traits in the income–depression linkage. The findings aim to inform the development of targeted mental health intervention strategies for the elderly population.

Methods: Data were drawn from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), covering a final sample of 3,625 adults aged 60 years and older. Depressive symptoms, the dependent variable, were assessed using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D8). The core independent variable was official household per capita income, and the moderating variables encompassed the Big Five personality traits. Based on social stratification theory, stress theory, and life-cycle consumption theory, hierarchical binary logistic regression models were adopted to examine the main effects of household income and personality traits, as well as their interactive effects on depressive symptoms.

Results: (1) Household income exhibited a significant negative gradient association with depressive symptoms. Compared with the low-income group, both the middle-income group (OR = 0.624) and high-income group (OR = 0.496) showed significantly lower risks of depression (p < 0.001). (2) Personality traits yielded significant main effects on depressive symptoms. Neuroticism served as a prominent risk factor (OR = 1.290, p < 0.001), whereas conscientiousness (OR = 0.911), extraversion (OR = 0.951), and agreeableness (OR = 0.926) acted as protective factors. Openness was identified as a marginal risk factor for depression (OR = 1.048, p < 0.01). (3) Moderation analyses revealed significant modifying effects of specific personality traits. Conscientiousness exerted a marginally significant moderating effect on the income–depression association (high income × conscientiousness: β =  − 0.123, p = 0.065), further reducing depression risk among high-income older adults. Neuroticism significantly moderated this association (high income × neuroticism: β = 0.131, p = 0.021, OR = 1.140); each one-unit increase in neuroticism was associated with a 14% elevation in depression risk, attenuating the protective effect of high income. Similarly, extraversion showed a significant moderating effect (high income × extraversion: β = 0.157, p = 0.013, OR = 1.170), weakening the negative income–depression linkage. By contrast, agreeableness and openness showed no significant moderating effects. (4) Heterogeneity analyses indicated that middle income significantly reduced depression risk across all subgroups. High income exerted significant protective effects on rural males, urban females, and urban males (with the strongest effect observed in rural males), while its protective impact on rural females failed to reach statistical significance.

Conclusion: Household income is a robust protective factor against depressive symptoms in older adults, yet its protective magnitude is contingent on individual personality traits. Older adults with high neuroticism, low conscientiousness, low extraversion, and low agreeableness are more susceptible to income fluctuations and constitute key target populations for precise mental health interventions. These findings suggest that public health policies and social interventions should shift from universal service models to targeted strategies. Prioritizing economic support for low-income, high-neuroticism older adults, combined with cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral activation interventions, can optimize mental health outcomes among the elderly.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Chenxing Ge
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
TI  - The Differential Effects of Household Income on Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Different Personality Traits
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 8th International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 110
EP  - 120
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-777-4_13
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-777-4_13
ID  - Ge2026
ER  -