The Types of Social Relations Predicting Elderly Well-Being

It is widely believed that supportive social networks are especially important resources for older adults. Previous work has lacked attention to the specific types of social relations, subjective evaluations of social relations, and social network characteristics that affect well-being. This study uses a representative sample of Northern California elderly respondents to examine the effects of social relations on self-reported happiness. Social relations are important predictors of happiness, even after accounting for the effects of several demographic and health characteristics. Perceived companionship is the best predictor of happiness among all the social relations variables. It is argued that further research should concentrate on the specific social relations factors that significantly affect specific domains of personal well-being.