The Influence of Community-Based Integrated Care on the Physical and Mental Health of Older Adults: Evidence from China

This study examined the association between community-based integrated care and older individuals' self-rated health, physical health, and mental health. The core components of community-based integrated care services include four major components: daily care, medical services, health services and psychological support. The study used data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The study employed a rigorous methodological framework to mitigate potential endogeneity biases, integrating ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with propensity score matching (PSM) and an instrumental variables (IV) approach. This multi-method design aimed to address both observed confounders and unobserved heterogeneity or reverse causality, thereby enhancing the robustness of causal inferences. The results of the study suggest that older persons who received community-based integrated care were associated with better self-rated health, physical health, and mental health than those who did not receive it. Overall, community-based integrated care was associated with greater health benefits among older persons aged 80 and above, women, older people living alone, and older people who reside in rural regions. Community-based integrated care is positively associated with the health status of older people, and a higher degree of community-based integrated care is associated with better physical and mental health among older people.