A Study on the Relationship between Social Support Model and Depression in the Elderly

Abstract Objective To analyze the relationship between social support patterns and depression in the elderly, and to provide reference for improving the social support system and improving the mental health of the elderly. Methods Based on social support theory, the latent category model was used to explore the relationship between social support patterns and depression among Chinese older adults. Results: The social support patterns of the elderly can be categorized into Comprehensive support provided by the offspring, Comprehensive support provided by the spouse, multiple support, and intergenerational emotional detachment; the tendency of depression in the elderly is most closely related to offspring support, and the Chinese traditional concept of "raising children to prevent old age" is no longer sufficient to defend against the tendency of depression in the elderly;Compared with the multiple support model, the elderly who relied on their children’s support in the three aspects of economy, care, and emotion, and the elderly whose children only provided instrumental support but not emotional support had a more significant tendency to be depressed. Conclusion The construction of a multiple social support model for the elderly should be realized as soon as possible; the strength of formal support for the elderly should be enhanced in terms of economic support; the main body of life care support for the elderly should be enriched, and the mental harm to the elderly, especially the female elderly, should be guarded against when their children only provide instrumental support instead of emotional support.