Intergenerational Support and Social Networks as Associated Factors of Late-Life Depression: Unpacking the Mediating Underlying Pathways of Aging Attitudes.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the underlying pathways through which intergenerational support, social networks, and attitudes toward aging relate to variations in depressive status in older adults.

Methods: A stratified cluster sampling method was used. A total of 1157 older adults from 5 communities in Hengyang City were surveyed using the Intergenerational Support Scale, Lubben Social Network Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Attitudes Toward Aging Questionnaire.

Results: Different types of intergenerational support and social networks were found to have significant positive correlations with attitudes toward aging, with correlation coefficients ranging from r=0.115 to 0.181 (P<0.01). Upward intergenerational support was positively associated with depression (r=0.264, P<0.01), while downward intergenerational support, two-way emotional support, family networks, and friend networks were all negatively correlated with depression, with r values spanning from -0.355 to -0.198 (P<0.01). Attitudes toward aging were identified as a partial mediator in the relationships between two-way emotional support, family networks, and depression. The estimated mediating effect size was 0.017 (95% CI: 0.005-0.039) for the two-way emotional support pathway, and -0.031 (95% CI: -0.069 to -0.011) for the family network pathway.

Conclusion: Two-way emotional support and family network can not only directly reduce depressive symptoms in older adults but also mitigate depressive symptoms indirectly by fostering more positive attitudes toward aging.