The Predictors of Mental Health in the Iranian Elderly: The Role of Social Support and Loneliness

The rapid growth of the elderly population,  challenges and the importance of mental health of the elderly, need to pay attention to mental health and the factors affecting it are inevitable. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of mental health in the elderly with the role of social support and loneliness.
In this correlational study, 318 elderly subjects who were registered in comprehensive health centers of Bushehr were selected by simple random sampling. The study data were collected using a Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Revised Loneliness (UCLA) and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ). Data were analyzed through SPSS 19, using the Spearman correlation and linear regression tests.
The Mean±SD of age of older adults was 66.74 ± 5.87 years.  Their Mean±SD scores of social support (families and friends) and loneliness were 43.57±7.19 (15.99 ±2.59 and 12.05 ±3.22) and 32.37 ±8.60, respectively. In explaining the variance of the mental health, the share of social support and loneliness  was 10.5 and 6.9%. The research results indicated that the friend support and loneliness with β =-0.236 and β = 0.308, respectively, had a statistically significant relationship with mental health (P <0.001).
The research results indicated that the mean score of family support was higher than other types; however, the friend support seemed to play a more effective role in improving mental health. It reminds the policymakers and health care providers, as well as families, of the need to pay attention to the friends' roles in supporting the elderly, thus reducing their loneliness and improving their mental health