Li Zhonglian, Qin Suxia, Zhu Yafen, Zhou Quanxiang, Yi Aijing, Mo Caiyun, Gao Jun, Chen Juhai, Wang Tianhui, Feng Zhanhui, Mo Xiangang
School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
Department of Medicine, Qiannan Medical College for Nationalities, Duyun, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Jun 2;20(6):e0325029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325029. eCollection 2025.
The aging population has led to a marked increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases among the elderly, significantly impacting their physical and mental health, as well as their overall quality of life. In rural regions of Western China, these challenges are exacerbated by limited access to medical insurance, low living standards, and inadequate mental health services. Consequently, the physical and mental well-being of elderly individuals with chronic conditions in these areas warrants focused attention. This study aims to investigate the interrelationships between depression, social support, and subjective well-being, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of social support.
This cross-sectional study involved a survey of 2,156 elderly individuals aged 60 and above, all living with chronic diseases in the rural areas of Qiannan, Guizhou, China. Pearson correlation and hierarchical linear regression analyses were employed to explore the relationships between the variables. A structural equation model was then constructed using Amos 23.0, based on the identified correlations between depression, social support, and subjective well-being. The bootstrap estimation method was applied to assess the mediating effect of social support in the depression-subjective well-being relationship.
The analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between depression and subjective well-being, while social support showed a strong positive association with subjective well-being. Mediation analysis confirmed that social support significantly mediates the relationship between depression and subjective well-being, accounting for 10.23% of the total effect. Notably, the influence of subjective support on depression and subjective well-being was found to be more pronounced than that of objective support or social support utilization.
The findings highlight the necessity of strengthening the social support system for elderly individuals with chronic diseases in rural Western China, particularly by enhancing psychological and emotional support. This approach is crucial for mitigating depressive symptoms and improving subjective well-being in this population.
人口老龄化导致老年人慢性病患病率显著上升，对他们的身心健康以及整体生活质量产生了重大影响。在中国西部农村地区，医疗保险覆盖范围有限、生活水平低下以及心理健康服务不足，使得这些挑战更加严峻。因此，这些地区慢性病老年患者的身心健康状况值得重点关注。本研究旨在探讨抑郁、社会支持与主观幸福感之间的相互关系，特别强调社会支持的中介作用。
本横断面研究对中国贵州省黔南农村地区2156名60岁及以上患有慢性病的老年人进行了调查。采用Pearson相关性分析和分层线性回归分析来探究变量之间的关系。然后基于抑郁、社会支持与主观幸福感之间已确定的相关性，使用Amos 23.0构建结构方程模型。应用Bootstrap估计方法评估社会支持在抑郁与主观幸福感关系中的中介作用。
分析显示抑郁与主观幸福感之间存在显著负相关，而社会支持与主观幸福感呈强正相关。中介分析证实，社会支持在抑郁与主观幸福感之间起显著中介作用，占总效应的10.23%。值得注意的是，发现主观支持对抑郁和主观幸福感的影响比客观支持或社会支持利用更为明显。
研究结果凸显了加强中国西部农村地区慢性病老年患者社会支持系统的必要性，特别是通过增强心理和情感支持。这种方法对于减轻该人群的抑郁症状和提高主观幸福感至关重要。
