Nonlinear and Interactive Effects of Social Relationships and Coping Styles on Loneliness in Older Adults: A Generalized Additive Model Analysis.

OBJECTIVES

Although social support and coping styles have been shown to be associated with loneliness in older adults, less is known about how the structural and qualitative dimensions of social relationships, together with coping styles and their interactions, influence loneliness. Therefore, this study examined the effects of social relationships and coping styles on loneliness in older adults, and further explored their interaction effects.

SETTING AND

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1165 older adults were recruited from 3 cities in a province of China.

METHODS

Data were collected using the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, a general information survey, the Social Support Scale, the Social Convoy Questionnaire, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. A Generalized Additive Model was used to analyze the effects of social support, social networks, and coping styles on loneliness in older adults, and to explore their interactive effects on loneliness.

RESULTS

Social support, social networks, and positive coping were negatively correlated with loneliness, whereas negative coping was correlated positively. Loneliness exhibited nonlinear associations with social support and depth and breadth of social networks but showed linear relationships with coping styles. Significant nonlinear interactions were found between 3 social support dimensions and coping styles on loneliness, and between breadth of social networks and positive coping.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Strong social relationships and positive coping are beneficial to easing loneliness in older adults. In addition, enhancing positive coping can further strengthen the mitigating effect of social relationships on loneliness.