An interactive impact of social participation and psychological vulnerability on older adults’ psychological well-being

Social participation are critical factors that influence an individual’s psychological well-being. As older adults experience intense social change (e.g., the recent COVID-19 pandemic, disruptive technological transformation), social support and participation would protect them from adversity. Previous studies have found evidence regarding how social support and participation might influence older adults’ physical and psychological well-being. However, an interactive effect between social participation and psychological states is less known in the literature. The objective of this study is to investigate how an older person’s social participation and psychological state interactively influence his/her psychological well-being. The results of this study will provide critical implications for helping older adults achieve healthy aging by promoting targeted and customized social support and social participation programs.