Relationship between Social Support and Psychological Well-Being among the Elderly

― Examination according to Gender within the Family ―

Abstract

　　Social support and psychological well-being in the elderly was examined, particularly the exchange of social support between the elderly and family members such as their spouses, sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law. Questionnaires were administered to people aged 60 and over. The final sample consisted of 170 elderly respondents (40 males and 130 females).

　　The results are as follows. (1) Elderly males provided more social support to their sons and sonsin-law than did elderly females. Therefore, the elderly males appeared to want to continue their roles as workers. (2) The elderly mothers and their daughters mostly had strong relationships. This is probably because traditional gender roles in Japanese culture have an influence on how social support is exchanged. (3) For elderly males, the type of social support provided was related to psychological well-being, but the type of social support received was not. This is probably because elderly males want to maintain their self-esteem, and improve the experience of their relationships, and continue their roles as workers. (4) For elderly females, social support received from daughters was not related to psychological well-being because the situations in which support received was measured were not related to psychological well-being.

　　This study analyzes the family structure, examines questions about social support, and uses a longitudinal method.