Editorial: Healthy ageing, social psychiatry of older adults and family caregivers

Population ageing is reshaping our societies worldwide. Social psychiatry provides a critical lens for understanding how family relationships, community participation, cultural beliefs, and care arrangements shape mental health in later life. The articles in this Research Topic illuminate these dynamics across diverse contexts, from nursing homes and "empty nest" households to spousal caregiving and chronic disease management, and highlight the parallel vulnerabilities of family caregivers.The qualitative study by among middle-aged and older Chinese adults with multiple chronic conditions introduces important nuance to discussions of "social connectedness." Economic integration and community integration were linked to lower depression risk, whereas relational integration was associated with higher depression risk. This counterintuitive finding suggests that some relationships, which perhaps marked by conflict, obligation, or stigma may be emotionally burdensome rather than protective. The heterogeneity across demographic groups, supported by sensitivity and subgroup analyses, underscores the need for more granular approaches that distinguish between supportive and stressful forms of social connection.Family emotional support and household remain central to the experience of ageing-in-place.A