The Impact of Social Network Types on the Physical and Mental Health of the Elderly

Background: With advancements in technology, the population of elderly individuals is on the rise. As a result, it is crucial to address and provide insights to the scientific community regarding how social networking affects elderly population. Understanding these impacts is essential for developing effective strategies to support the well-being of older adults.

Objective: To analyze the social network characteristics of the elderly and explore the impact of social network types on their physical and mental health.

Methods: Literature search is used to organize 82 influential previous articles, elaborating on the concept, types, and characteristics of social networks, analyzing the impact of several main types of social networks on the physical and mental health of elderly people, and briefly summarizing the influencing factors of social networks among the elderly.

Results: The social network of elderly people in China is mainly based on family networks, with relatively weak friend networks, community networks, and diverse networks, and the proportion of old people with restricted network tends to increase. Except for restricted networks, the other four types of social networks have varying degrees and forms of promoting effects on the physical and mental health of the elderly.

Conclusion: Social networks play an important protective role in the physical and mental health of the elderly, and the collaboration and coordination among government, social institutions, communities, families, and the elderly were required to improve them.