Suchergebnisse

AbstractEntrepreneurship is a typical socially embedded activity and informal social support reflects the functional manifestation of unique social relationships among rural migrants. Given the limited attention in existing research, we employed data from the nationally representative China Labor‐force Dynamics Survey to investigate the impact and mechanism of informal social support on rural migrants' entrepreneurial income. We found that informal social support and its sub‐dimensions (instrumental and emotional support) significantly positively affect rural migrants' entrepreneurial income. A series of endogeneity and robustness tests substantiate this conclusion. Mechanism analysis suggests that these effects occur through the enhancement of entrepreneurial passion and mental health. Furthermore, using a cutting‐edge machine learning method (generalised random forests) to determine the basis for variable selection in heterogeneity testing, the results reveal that industry and age have the highest importance. Subsequent analysis shows that the above effects were more significant among rural migrant entrepreneurs in labour‐intensive industries and the younger generation. Finally, the theoretical and practical significance of this study has been discussed.

BACKGROUND: With an increasing number of critically ill patients, attention should be paid to both their physical health and mental health. The objective of this study is to examine the links between depression and social capital among critically ill patients. METHODS: Data for 1043 patients with critical illnesses was collected with a stratified cluster random sampling method in rural Shandong, China. Depression symptoms were measured using a short form version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) and the total scores of them were dichotomized. We associated structural social capital with social networks, social participation, and social support. Cognitive social capital includes the degree of availability of social trust and reciprocity. Binary logistic regression was used to explore whether social capital was significantly associated with depression among patients with critical illnesses. RESULTS: We found that 68.5% of the critically ill patients in our sample population had depression. CESD-10 scores were negatively correlated with social capital, including occupations of their frequent contacts, social trust in relatives and friends, distance to the nearest medical institution and medical assistance convenience from non-spouse. In addition, low economic status, and low self-rated health were more significantly correlated with depression in critically ill patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the mental health of critically ill patients and more formal society, community and government support form given, particularly in rural China.

Abstract

Objectives
China introduced an innovative Supplementary High-Cost Illness Insurance (SHCII) program to enhance existing social health insurance by providing extra financial support for individuals facing catastrophic illnesses in 2015. The SHCII has notably increased access to healthcare and alleviated financial strain for economically disadvantaged individuals. However, there is a lack of information regarding the program's impact on the mental health of its beneficiaries. This study aims to assess the impact of SHCII on the mental well-being of middle-aged and older individuals.


Methods
Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018), this study examined how SHCII affects mental health among middle-aged and older individuals in China using propensity score matching with the time-varying difference-in-differences method.


Results
We found that SHCII implementation can significantly reduce the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale scores of middle-aged and older individuals. This reduction was more pronounced among older individuals with poor self-rated health, chronic disease, and low household wealth when compared to their counterparts.


Discussion
The implementation of SHCII has had a significant and positive impact on mental health outcomes. We recommend that governments consider expanding the program to other areas within China, focusing especially on the most economically disadvantaged segments of the population.