Influence of Social Relationship Disruption on the Depression of Chinese Older Adults: A Study Based on the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, 2018–2023

Using a nationally representative dataset, we estimated the effect of social relationship disruption on the depression of Chinese older adults. We found that social relationship disruption increased elderly depression within one year and two or three years later, while it did not influence the depressive outcome five years later. Social relationship disruption exhibited stronger short- and long-term influences for netizens, whereas a sex disparity emerged only in the long run. Social adaptation significantly mediated this association, while social support network did not. These findings underscore the negative impact of sudden social disconnection events on the mental health of elderly population.