Sources and directions of social support and life satisfaction among solitary Chinese older adults in Hong Kong: the mediating role of sense of loneliness

Abstract

Based on survey data collected from 151 community-dwelling solitary Chinese older adults in Hong Kong, the present study used path analysis to examine the mediating role of sense of loneliness in the relationship between different sources and directions of social support and life satisfaction. The results showed that sense of loneliness mediated the effects of support from families, friends, and support for others on life satisfaction. In addition, a formal source of social support was not associated with life satisfaction among solitary older adults, although those with a more secure financial status had greater overall life satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing awareness among social and health care service providers about the negative effects of insufficient social support on older adults’ sense of loneliness and life satisfaction. Family and friendship networks should be expanded for solitary older adults.

Socioeconomic inequalities in mental distress and life satisfaction among older Chinese men and women: The role of family functioning

“…In this paper, ‘healthy family functioning’ is defined as effective interactions and positive relationships within the family (Byles, Byrne, Boyle, & Offord, ). A recent study confirmed that family support can reduce older adults’ sense of loneliness and enhance their life satisfaction (Bai, Yang, & Knapp, ). Similarly, stronger intergenerational relationships reportedly predict greater longevity, fewer depression symptoms, less loneliness, and greater life satisfaction (Hazer, Öztürk, & Gürsoy, ; Lowenstein, ; Bai, ).…”

Dynamics of Life Satisfaction Among Rural Elderly in China: The Role of Health Insurance Policies and Intergenerational Relationships

“…The older generation tend to be more affected by the various facets of intergenerational interaction namely living arrangement, emotional support in the form of communication and financial support than the younger generation [9][10][11]. In the past, the elderly relied mostly on their children especially in terms of emotional and financial support as they aged and were incapable of solely supporting themselves [12,13]. In the advent of social welfare policies such as medical insurance and pension benefits, the level of dependency on children is likely to reduce.…”

Association of Family Type with Happiness Attributes Among Older Adults

“…In general, social support or social resources are necessary to lead a happy and healthy life. Social support is an important component of older adults' happiness and health [6,7,8,9]. Among the sources of social support, the family is considered as the most important factor that influences older adults' happiness [3,6,7,8,9,10].…”

“…Social support is an important component of older adults' happiness and health [6,7,8,9]. Among the sources of social support, the family is considered as the most important factor that influences older adults' happiness [3,6,7,8,9,10]. The previous studies report the important influence of contextual factors on associations between living arrangements and the happiness [3,8], between living arrangements and health status [3,10] of older individuals.…”