Perceived social support among older adults living in urban northwest Ethiopia is not significantly associated with overall well-being and is negatively associated with psychological well-being, according to a study published in BMC Geriatrics. Conducted by researchers Keshab Prasad Timalsina and Habtamu Sewunet Mekonnen, the investigation evaluated how perceived social support and social engagement associate with well-being in later life. While prevailing assumptions often hold that social support is universally beneficial for well-being, the empirical findings reveal that the relationship between social support and different dimensions of well-being is not uniformly positive among older adults in this urban Ethiopian setting.
To examine these relationships, the researchers utilized a cross-sectional study design and conducted a secondary data analysis using structural equation modeling on a sample of 830 older people. The empirical investigation evaluated both the individual and combined associations of perceived social support and social engagement status among the participants. The structural equation model specifically tested how these two social factors related to three distinct wellness outcomes: overall older people well-being, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being.
The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that perceived social support was not significantly associated with overall well-being among the older adults, recording a path coefficient of beta equals 0.051 and a p-value of 0.586. However, perceived social support demonstrated contrasting associations across specific well-being dimensions. With respect to life satisfaction, perceived social support showed a statistically significant positive association, with a path coefficient of beta equals 0.297 and a p-value of less than 0.001. Conversely, perceived social support exhibited a statistically significant negative association with psychological well-being, with a path coefficient of beta equals minus 0.353 and a p-value of less than 0.001.
The authors explicitly stated that the observed negative association between perceived social support and psychological well-being should be interpreted cautiously. This caution is necessary because dependency and stress were not directly assessed within the study. Without direct measurement of stress and dependency in the secondary data analysis, the specific mechanisms underlying why higher perceived social support accompanied lower psychological well-being remain unmeasured, underscoring the importance of careful interpretation of this statistical relationship.
Regarding social engagement, the analysis demonstrated a distinct pattern of relationships with the measured well-being outcomes. The study found that being socially engaged was significantly and positively linked to life satisfaction among the older participants. However, social engagement was not significantly associated with overall well-being, nor was it significantly associated with psychological well-being. Thus, while active social engagement related positively to how satisfied older adults felt with life, it did not correlate with their broader overall or psychological wellness measures.
The investigation also evaluated whether perceived social support and social engagement interacted in their relationship to the well-being measures. The analysis revealed no statistically significant association between perceived social support and social engagement for any of the evaluated well-being outcomes, with all interaction p-values exceeding 0.05. This lack of a statistically significant combined association indicates that the positive relationship observed between social engagement and life satisfaction occurs independently of an individual’s perceived level of social support.
According to the authors, these findings challenge the universal understanding that social support is always positively associated with well-being among older people. The evidence suggests that social support can sometimes feel like pressure or dependence, hurting mental health instead of supporting it. Furthermore, because being socially engaged positively associates with life satisfaction independently of perceived support, the researchers conclude that support programs should focus on respectful autonomy and recognize social connection as its own route to well-being, rather than simply treating it as an extra layer of help.
Subject of Research: Associations of perceived social support and social engagement with older people’s well-being in Ethiopia
Article Title: How perceived social support and social engagement shape older people’s well-being in Ethiopia
Article References: Timalsina, K. P., & Mekonnen, H. S. (2026). How perceived social support and social engagement shape older people’s well-being in Ethiopia. BMC Geriatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-026-08649-3
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-026-08649-3
Keywords: BMC Geriatrics, older adults, Ethiopia, social support, social engagement, well-being, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, perceived, social, support, engagement
