Associations between economic distress, social support, and subjective well-being among older adults in Greece. A cross-sectional study

Abstract

This study aims to examine the associations between personal economic distress, perceived social support and subjective well-being among community-dwelling older adults in Greece, addressing the limited evidence regarding the simultaneous contribution of financial and social factors to well-being in later life in Greece. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 181 adults aged 65 years and older. Participants completed the Index of Personal Economic Distress (IPED), the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and the Short Form of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ-Short), along with demographic questions. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses and Pearson correlations were performed. Participants reported low to moderate economic distress, high satisfaction with social support and moderate-to-high subjective well-being. Economic distress was negatively associated with well-being (r = −0.182, p = 0.015), while satisfaction with social support was positively associated (r = 0.274, p = 0.001). The number of supportive persons was not significantly related to well-being. The cross-sectional design and convenience sampling limit causal inference and generalisability; findings are based on bivariate associations without adjustment for potential confounders. Nurses and community health providers working with older adults should consider both financial circumstances and the perceived quality of social relationships as relevant to well-being, alongside routine health assessments. This study examines economic distress and social support simultaneously in relation to well-being within the same older adult sample in Greece, a context with limited prior evidence on this topic.