Psychological Well-Being, Activity Satisfaction, and Perceived Social Support Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Intergenerational Participation: An 18-Month Longitudinal Study.

Abstract

Using an observational longitudinal design, this study examined psychological well-being, activity satisfaction, and perceived social support among 91 middle-aged and older adults participating in community-based intergenerational activities in Taiwan. Across eight waves over 18 months, psychological well-being was assessed through mental health, subjective happiness, life satisfaction, and loneliness. Unconditional growth models showed no significant average linear change in any outcome, suggesting relative stability at the sample level. However, random-effect estimates indicated meaningful individual differences in initial status and, for some outcomes, rates of change. Activity satisfaction was associated with several well-being indicators, but its explanatory role for change was limited. Perceived social support, disaggregated into within-person fluctuations and between-person mean differences, was consistently associated with better mental health, higher happiness and life satisfaction, and lower loneliness. Findings position intergenerational participation as a relational context in which perceived support may be central to maintaining psychosocial well-being.