The Impact of Social Network Interruption on Depression in the Elderly With Chronic Diseases: A Longitudinal Study in China

Background

Social support can have health benefits but may also pose risks for the elderly, particularly those facing conflicts and network disruptions. Understanding the short and long-term mental health effects, especially in elderly individuals with chronic illnesses, is crucial due to global depression concerns. Yet, research is limited, with gaps in exploring different social disruption scenarios and lacking comprehensive multi-period data analysis.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal study using 2016 and 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) data. Our study included 5476 and 7138 participants aged 60−90 with chronic illnesses, 4730 participating in both years. We analysed relationships using depression scores, social network disruption and social adaptation. Ordinary least squares explored short and long-term effects, and propensity score matching examined causal inferences, including gender and urban-rural differences. We also explored the social adaptation's mediating role.

Results

Disrupted social networks significantly increased short and long-term depression (β = 0.984, p < 0.001; β = 0.337, p < 0.01). However, after propensity score matching, only short-term impacts persisted (ATT = 0.981−1.045, p < 0.001). Factors like death and conflicts had short-term impacts, milder in females (0.673 points) than in males (1.285 points). Both urban and rural participants experienced increased depression. Social adaptation explained 14.1% of the mediation effect.

Conclusions

Disrupted social networks heightened short-term depression in elderly individuals with chronic illnesses, with varying gender and location effects. Robust social adaptability facilitated new connections, reducing depression. Implications include emphasizing rapid network recovery and enhancing adaptability for mental health support in aging populations.