The filial piety paradox: Receiving social support from children can be negatively associated with quality of life

Despite strong norms of filial obligation in Asian countries, little is known about whether child-provided support promotes older adults’ well-being. This study sought to examine whether and how the source (e.g., child/non-child providers) and the form (e.g., financial, instrumental) of received social support are associated with older adults’ quality of life. Data are from two waves of a longitudinal survey of older adults in Singapore (N = 2887). Two-wave mediation analyses were conducted to determine associations of the source and form of received social support with quality of life, and the extent to which personal mastery mediated these associations. We find that, although receiving financial assistance from more children promotes older men's quality of life, older women's quality of life is eroded when receiving housework help from more children. These relationships are partially mediated through increase (for men) or decline (for women) in personal mastery. The findings suggest that both the form and source of help provided to older adults matter. Receiving social support from children may not always benefit older adults – more attention is needed on how best to support older adults while giving them sufficient control to maintain a high quality of life.