Direct and Indirect Pathways From Social Support to Health?

Seoyoun Kim, Patricia A Thomas and Deborah CarrPhDDecision Editor

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2019, vol. 74, issue 6, 1072-1080

Abstract: ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate potential direct and indirect pathways linking social support and health, while considering mental health and chronic inflammation as inter-related outcomes. The study also contributes to the literature through testing potential bidirectional relationships between social support, mental health, and chronic inflammation.MethodsThis study uses Structural Equation Modeling and two waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), including 1,124 community-living older adults aged 57–85 years at Wave 1 (2005).ResultsAnalyses show that social support influenced mental health indirectly through better self-esteem. Moreover, social support was associated with lower levels of chronic inflammation but chronic inflammation did not influence social support.DiscussionThe growing number of older adults with an aging population urgently calls for a greater understanding of factors influencing their physical and mental health. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of social support in older adults’ health, while specifically focusing on understudied indirect pathways from social support to health.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Life course; Mental health; NSHAP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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