Does Empty Nest Elderly Experience More Depressive Symptoms than Non-Empty Nest Elderly? Evidence from Longitudinal Aging Study in India

India experienced a growing burden of elderly population associated with both physical and mental health challenges. Among the mental health problems, dementia, depression, anxiety and sleep disorder are of significant concern. This present study investigates the association between the types of living arrangement and the mental health of elderly in India. Comparison has been done between empty nest and non-empty nest elderlies. Data from first wave of Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017–18) has been used. It is a nationally representative data which collected data from over 72,000 individuals aged 45 and above and their spouses irrespective of age. We used the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) to measure depression while living arrangement was self-reported by the respondents. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to find significant association of the outcome and independent variables. Among the total elderlies, 11% were from empty nest single households, 20% were from empty nest couple households and others were from the non-empty households. At national level, 30% elderly suffered from depression. It was more among the elderly of empty nest single households (43%), compared to elderly of empty nest couple households (30%) and non-empty nest households (28%). Gender, socio economic status, self-rated health status, financial stability, place of residence plays a crucial role in the experience of depression among the elderlies. Results portray that household structure, especially living arrangement and familial support in old age can be associated with the overall health and wellbeing, more specifically depressive symptoms among the elderly.