Correlation between social network and mental health in family-oriented older migrants: A study in two cities in China

Background: Family-oriented mobility has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, leading to the emergence of a new demographic: older migrants. These individuals, who are often accompanied by their family members, relocate to another place of residence while retaining their household registration in their original location. The existing literature has largely neglected the social perspective on the mental health of this population group. Methods: This study recruited participants from five communities in two cities and employed the Geriatric Social Network Scale, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale to assess their mental health and social networks. Results: Among the 317 qualified participants, 31.23 % reported experiencing anxiety and 15.77 % reported experiencing depression. The mean social network score was 3.83 +/- 0.54 points. A negative correlation was observed between social network scores and both anxiety (r = -0.272, P < 0.001) and depression (r = -0.338, P < 0.001). Two distinct types of social networks were identified through latent profile analysis, with a low level of social support and a low-level social network being significantly correlated with depression (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Mental health issues are prevalent among family-oriented older migrants. A medium-level social network was found to be negatively correlated with anxiety and depression. The presence of a low-level social network was found to be associated with depression. It is imperative to prioritize the mental health status of family-oriented older migrants. Collaboration between community nurses and social workers should be encouraged to aid in exploring more effective ways of promoting the mental health status and social networks of this population.