Perceived affective support From the Iranian older adult ́s viewpoint: a directed content analysis

Given the importance of social support in promoting the physical and mental health of the older adults, this study investigates perceived affective support as one of the subsets of social support in the growing population of the older adults.
In this qualitative study, 14 older adults people from different parts of Tehran participated in the directed content analysis method. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a matrix developed based on literature review.
The results showed that the older adults considered "affective support" as one of the most important sources of support, including "close relationships with others", "love and affects", "attention and care", "Significant other", "affective security in need" and "positive self-perception ".
Considering the importance of perceived affective support, older adults health care providers need to pay more attention to this kind of support in designing interventions aimed at promoting social support for older adults.