Research on the Evolution of Psychological Needs and Social Support Strategies of the Elderly from the Perspective of Life Course

Based on the life course theory, the old age is divided into three key stages: retirement adaptation period, empty nest stability period and health decline period. Through the combination of longitudinal tracking and cross-sectional investigation, the dynamic changes of psychological needs of the elderly, the matching status of social support and the influence of key life events are deeply analyzed. It is found that the psychological needs of the elderly have evolved in stages with the life stage, from the role recognition and sense of value in the adaptation period of retirement, to the social connection and sense of belonging in the stable period of empty nest, and then to the dignity maintenance and care security in the healthy decline period, showing a transitional trend from "self-realization" to "security dependence" as a whole. At the same time, there are significant gaps in the current social support system in meeting the core needs of the elderly at different stages, such as insufficient support for role identification in the retirement adaptation period, social isolation in the stable empty nest period, and concerns about dignity maintenance and care sustainability in the health recession period. In addition, critical life events, such as the death of spouse and serious illness, have a significant immediate impact on the intensity of psychological needs of the elderly, while formal and informal support have their own advantages in different types of support. Based on the above findings, this study constructs a "demand-support dynamic matching model", and puts forward a phased accurate support strategy, including providing re-employment opportunities and social activities during retirement adaptation, strengthening intergenerational communication and physical and mental health maintenance during empty nest stability, paying attention to dignity maintenance and care safety during health recession, and emphasizing the importance of strengthening informal support system, optimizing formal support system and establishing dynamic monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The research shows that when the support and demand are highly matched, the depression risk of the elderly is significantly reduced, which verifies the effectiveness and necessity of the dynamic adaptation strategy, and provides theoretical basis and practical guidance for optimizing the old-age service system and improving the mental health level of the elderly.