Social support and negative emotions of Chinese older adults: Comparison of those who had been widowed to those with a spouse

Abstract

We investigated the association between social support and negative emotions in Chinese people aged 65 years and over, by comparing those who still had a spouse with those who had been widowed. Data were drawn from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Health and Longevity Survey of Elders. The results showed that there were significant differences between those who were widowed and those whose spouse was still alive in terms of the negative emotions of uselessness and loneliness, but not anxiety. The more informal and formal social support (excluding economic support and medical insurance) these older adults had, the fewer negative emotions they felt. These findings provide theoretical and practical insights for scholars who are researching the topic of old age, and also offer practical insights for older adults to maintain their health.