Perceived Social Support Mediates the Relationship between Use of Greenspace and Geriatric Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of South-Italian Older Adults

Abstract

A growing body of evidence is suggestive for the beneficial role of contact with greenspace (e.g., use of greenspace, visual access to greenspace, etc.) on mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.). In addition, several studies have pointed out the benefits of social support and social interaction on psychological wellbeing. Even if evidence on the association between contact with greenspace and perceived social support were mixed, it was supposed that the use of greenspace could enhance social interactions and perceived social support, especially among older adults. The present study aims to explore the effect of use of greenspace on geriatric depression in a sample of South-Italian older adults and the mediating role of perceived social support in this association. A structural equation model was tested in a sample of 454 older adults (60–90 years old) residing in the Metropolitan Area of Bari, Apulia. The fit indices revealed the goodness of fit of the model (CFI = 0.934; TLI = 0.900; IFI = 0.911; NFI = 0.935; RMSEA = 0.074; SRMR = 0.056). Results showed that the use of greenspace was inversely associated with geriatric depression through perceived social support. These findings underlined the relevance of perceived social support on the pathway linking use of greenspace and geriatric depressive symptoms. This evidence may be useful to policymakers to plan interventions for promoting physical access to greenspace and social participation in an age-friendly city framework.

Fostering an Age-Friendly Sustainable Transport System: A Psychological Perspective

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The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support

“…Many methods were found to be effective in developing greater levels of empathy, e.g., the use of video recordings, service to disadvantaged communities, reflective writing, and in our view, could easily be used in education to increase empathy in young adults by creating an empathic cognitive reserve that would counteract its decline with age [71]. This is particularly important because it is now well established that some social and environmental variables can have positive and protective effects on the mental and physical health of older adults [72]; in fact, for example, Ricciardi and collaborators [73] found that older adults who had higher levels of perceived social support experienced fewer symptoms of geriatric depression. Continuing to be an active and positive part of the social context brings the older adult several primary and secondary benefits, and through targeted interventions, this is possible.…”

A study of the mediating effect of social support on self-disclosure and demoralization in Chinese older adult homebound breast cancer patients

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