Rethinking Informal Social Support: Differential Effects of Family, Peer, and Neighborhood Relationships on Older Adults’ Subjective Well-being

Zhongjie Zhao; Yuhan Wang

doi:10.6918/IJOSSER.202608_9(8).0022

Authors

Zhongjie Zhao School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 102616, China
Yuhan Wang School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 102616, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202608_9(8).0022

Keywords:

Older adults; Subjective well-being; Informal social support; Family support; Peer support; Neighborhood support.

Abstract

Population aging has increased research attention to older adults’ subjective well-being in social work and public policy. Previous studies have mainly emphasized the positive effects of social support, while the differences between various types of social relationships have received less attention. Using data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) 2021, this study examines the relationship between informal social support and subjective well-being among 1,865 older adults aged 60 and above. OLS regression and Ordered Probit models were used for empirical analysis. The results indicate that different forms of social support have different associations with older adults’ well-being. Family support shows a consistent positive association, with both economic and emotional support contributing to higher levels of subjective well-being. However, peer support does not show the expected positive relationship. Instead, frequent gatherings with friends are associated with lower subjective well-being, suggesting that social interaction may also bring certain interpersonal and psychological pressures. Neighborhood support shows limited effects after family support is controlled. This study challenges the assumption that social support universally improves well-being by highlighting the differentiated effects of various social relationships. The findings suggest that elderly care services should focus not only on expanding social interaction but also on improving the quality and experience of social relationships.

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