Psychological Resilience and Sleep Quality Among the Elderly: The Mediating Role of Social Support

Jiayao Li,1,* Jingyu Zhang,2,* Yingying Hou,3,* Yi Cui,1 Qianqian Wang,1 Anping Ouyang,4 Min Cai,5 Yan Hua1 1Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Min Cai, Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Yan Hua, Department of Nursing, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: This study aims to explore the mediating role of social support among the elderly in the relationship between psychological resilience and sleep quality.Methods: From December 2024 to March 2025, researchers conducted a questionnaire survey among elderly individuals aged ≥ 65 years in Shaanxi Province and Shanghai Municipality. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess the psychological resilience, social support, and sleep quality of the elderly. Structural equation modeling was employed to explore the relationships among the variables.Results: This study included a total of 359 elderly participants, with an average sleep quality score of 12.69 (standard deviation = 4.15), indicating poor sleep quality. Psychological resilience was significantly associated with sleep quality in the elderly (r = − 0.781, p < 0.001). In the model constructed in this study, social support was considered a partial mediating factor in the relationship between psychological resilience and sleep quality among the elderly, with the mediating effect accounting for 33.7% of the total effect (indirect effect β = − 0.070, 95% CI = − 0.108 to − 0.025, p = 0.006).Conclusion: In the elderly population, psychological resilience and sleep quality are significantly associated, with social support acting as a mediator in this relationship. The above findings provide scientific basis for the formulation of intervention strategies.Keywords: elderly, psychological resilience, social support, sleep quality, cross-sectional study