The Impact of Social Connectedness on Older Adults’ Wellbeing

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Family Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 793

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Master Program of Long-Term Care in Aging, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
Interests: community-based long-term care; gerontological social work; gerontological mental health; health behavior and education for the elderly; gerontological graceful death and terminal care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The World Health Organization promotes the importance of active aging, encouraging the creation of opportunities and supportive environments that encourage older adults to actively participate in society, thereby enhancing their sense of purpose. Active participation in society and maintaining interpersonal relationships can help older adults adapt to later life and sustain active aging. This highlights the need for a deeper analysis of the role of social connectedness in the aging process. Research consistently shows that older adults with strong social networks and social connectedness enjoy better health, greater longevity, and higher life satisfaction. Social involvement and support systems can boost self-esteem and a sense of security, ultimately enhancing overall wellbeing. Social connectedness is a complex, multi-faceted concept. For this Special Issue, we welcome research that examines the impact of social connectedness on the wellbeing of older adults from diverse perspectives. We encourage submissions exploring aspects such as social relationships, social support, community involvement, activity participation, volunteering, and interpersonal networks.

Dr. Ching-Teng Yao
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • social connectedness
  • active aging
  • wellbeing
  • social relationships
  • social support
  • activity participation
  • interpersonal networks

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 480 KiB  
Article
The Race Paradox in Mental Health Among Older Adults in the United States: Examining Social Participation as a Mechanism
by Fei Wang, Shandra Forrest-Bank, Yifan Lou, Namrata Mukherjee and Yejin Heo
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(7), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14070426 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
The race paradox in mental health refers to the phenomenon in which African Americans often demonstrate mental health outcomes that are comparable to or more favorable than those of non-Hispanic Whites, despite systemic socioeconomic disadvantage and disproportionate exposure to chronic stressors. Few studies [...] Read more.
The race paradox in mental health refers to the phenomenon in which African Americans often demonstrate mental health outcomes that are comparable to or more favorable than those of non-Hispanic Whites, despite systemic socioeconomic disadvantage and disproportionate exposure to chronic stressors. Few studies have examined the mechanisms underlying this race paradox among older adults, and even fewer have explored the role of social participation. This study aims to examine whether social participation mediates the relationship between race and mental health. Longitudinal data were drawn from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging study Waves 1–3 (N = 1292). Race was dichotomized as African American and non-Hispanic White. Three types of social participation were assessed: volunteering, participating in organized groups, and attending religious services. Depressive symptoms were assessed as the mental health outcome. Path analyses were conducted to examine the aim. Results indicate that being African Americans predicted increased levels of religious attendance, which in turn, decreased the levels of depressive symptoms. Religious attendance is an underlying mechanism partially explaining the race paradox in mental health, and a modifiable factor that mitigates depressive symptoms. Culturally sensitive interventions promoting social participation are warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Social Connectedness on Older Adults’ Wellbeing)
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