Psychology

Compared to their younger adults, elderly are usually at a higher risk of developing psychiatric problems. 24 A number of studies have explored the influence of adult children's migration on the health of older parents left behind, with some studies reporting a significant adverse effect on their mental health.25

The elderly live alone or only with a spouse and may experience anxiety, depression, guilt, and loneliness; the so-called ‘empty nest syndrome’.26 Empty nest syndrome is defined by the Chinese Journal of Public Health as parents having feelings of sadness and loss when their children have moved away and they have no spouse or other relatives living together. Empty-nest elderly, as one of the most vulnerable groups in our country, are at high risk of depression because of their special physical and mental health status.27

24 Corey L. Keyes, Dov Shmotkin, and Carol D. Ryff, “Optimizing Well-Being: The Empirical Encounter of Two Traditions.,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82, no. 6 (2002): pp. 10071022, https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.1007. 25 Deependra “Migration of Adult” 26 Deependra “Migration of Adult” 27 Can-qing Yu, Xiao-yan Sun, and Li-ming Li, “ 空巢老人抑郁症 及其影响因素研究进展 : Prevalence and Influencing Factor of Depression among Empty-Nest Elderly: a Systematic Review,” Chinese Journal of Public Health 17, no. 11 (January 2018), https:// doi.org/10.11847/zgggws1112521.

Back Home Often

"Back Home Often" is a Public Service advertisement produced by CCTV(China Central Television). The story is about a mother preparing dinner and expecting her children to back home. However, the children haphazardly check in on the mother, and hang up the phone hurriedly to continue their own lives and told the mom they could not go home for dinner. The final shot of the ad shows the mother sitting on the sofa alone, facing the TV in a daze. This advertisement was on air around 2004, calling for more contact between children and their senior parents. With rapid development of society has caused their children to bear more life pressure, parents and children have not maintained close contact. The advertisement reflects the fact that elderly people's psychological feelings are ignored. In modern chinese society, many seniors do not suffer from a lack of resources but from a lack of attention and company.