The Science Daily reports that cultural expectations impact the benefits of intergenerational support.

Intergenerational Support and Depression Among Elders in Rural China: Do Daughters-In-Law Matter?, a study published in the July 2008 Journal of Marriage and Family, stated that in the province of Anhui in rural China, assistance from daughters-in-law with household chores and personal care created fewer depressive symptoms in elders than that offered by sons and daughters. The report’s authors, Dr. Zhen Cong and Professor Merrill Silverstein of the USC Davis School of Gerontology, found this was most evident in situations where daughters-in-law co-resided with their husband’s parents.

In traditional rural Chinese society, the efforts of a son’s wife are seen and accepted as meaningful contributions. Almost two-thirds of China’s older population lives in rural areas, making it the largest concentration of elders in the world. Considering that Chinese society is changing, elders will be disadvantaged if they don’t adjust their expectations about the appropriateness of support from their children.