jismart2024013: The Impact of Social Participation on Elderly Mental Health in China

Abstract

Despite increasing evidence of a direct correlation between social engagement and the mental health of older adults, the precise mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study leverages data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) to investigate the effects of social participation and social support on the mental health of older adults in China. The CLASS sample comprises 9,828 older adults, with 4,944 (50.3%) males and 4,884 (49.7%) females. The mean age of the participants is 71.4 years (standard deviation = 6.5). The findings from structural equation modeling indicate a significant association between social participation and both life satisfaction and depressive symptoms among older adults. High levels of social participation are linked to greater social support. Additionally, social support mediates the relationship between social participation and mental health outcomes. Therefore, strategies aimed at enhancing social participation and increasing social support for older adults in China may be effective in improving mental health outcomes in this population.