Older adults in India have almost 12% higher risk of depression when their adult children are unemployed. A new study from Umeå University shows that unemployment among younger generations increases the risk of poor mental health among parents, particularly in a society where many older adults are both economically and socially dependent on their children.
The research is based on extensive data from the Longitudinal Ageing Survey of India, which includes more than 73,000 people aged over 45. The material provides a unique picture of how families are affected when adult children fall out of the labour market.
Strong link between children's unemployment and parents' health
The researchers show a clear link between adult children's unemployment and deteriorating mental health among parents. When the income of adult children disappears, insecurity also rises for parents, who rely heavily on support from their children in everyday life.
First-born sons play a particularly important role
The study finds that the risk of depression among parents increases markedly when the first-born son loses his job, while the association is considerably weaker when the first-born daughter becomes unemployed. According to the researchers, this reflects cultural norms in India, where sons – particularly the eldest – are traditionally expected to carry on the family name and support their parents in later life. These expectations mean that a son's unemployment has greater consequences for parents' psychological well-being.
Social participation protect older adults' mental health
Despite the central role of the family, the study shows that social networks and active social engagement have a clearly protective effect. Older adults who take part in social activities have a lower risk of developing depression, even when their adult children are unemployed. For those with limited social engagement, however, the association is significantly stronger, and the risk of depression rises sharply when adult children lose their jobs.
Greatest strength of association in states with large socioeconomic inequalities
In states with wide income disparities, older parents are particularly vulnerable. These areas are often characterised by limited access to essential public services such as education, welfare, and health care. The study shows that older adults living under such conditions have higher depression risk when their adult children becomes unemployed, compared to older adults living in low income inequality states when their adult children becomes unemployed.
"Our results show how closely interconnected generations in India are, and how vulnerable many older adults become when younger generations lose their foothold in the labour market. Without social participation, the impact is felt directly by older people," says Rishabh Tyagi, postdoc at Centre for Demographic and Aging Research, Umeå University, one of the researchers behind the study.
Key findings
• Older parents in India are clearly affected when their adult children are unemployed.
• The association is stronger in families where children's economic and social support is crucial to parents' security.
• Unemployment among first-born sons has a greater association with parents depression risk than unemployment among first-born daughters, partly due to cultural expectations of responsibility.
• Older adults who are socially active fare significantly better than those who live more isolated lives.
• Large economic disparities between states increase the vulnerability of older parents.
Recommendations
The researchers recommend strengthening support for young people in the labour market, reducing the substantial income disparities between states, and improving the state's capacity to deliver essential public services such as education, welfare, and health care. These measures are considered central to better protecting the psychological and social well-being of older adults.
More about the article
Tyagi, R., Baranowska-Rataj, A., & Gugushvili, A. (2026). Adult Children's Unemployment and Parental Mental Health in India: Social and Economic Heterogeneity. SSM-Population Health 33 (2026) 101905, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2026.101905 .
The project is part of a larger research project titled "The effects of unemployment on health of family members" funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under grant agreement No 802631.
