ehealth use and psychological health improvement among older adults: The sequential mediating roles of social support and self-esteem

Objective The psychological health of older adults is becoming an urgent issue. This study aims to investigate the role of eHealth in enhancing psychological health among Chinese older adults by examining how eHealth stimulates social support from family and friends, which in turn improves self-esteem and psychological health. The research is guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods Data were collected from a national survey conducted in China between January and September 2023. The survey involved 898 adults 60 years and older. A sequential mediation analysis was performed to explore the indirect effects of eHealth use on psychological health through family and friend support and self-esteem. Results The study identified two parallel sequential mediating paths: (1) eHealth use → family support → self-esteem → psychological health ( B = 0.01, 95% CI [0.01, 0.02]; b p = 0.01) and (2) eHealth use → friends support → self-esteem → psychological health ( B = 0.01, 95% CI [0.01, 0.02]; b p = 0.01). Both paths demonstrate the significant roles of social support and self-esteem in enhancing psychological health. Conclusion The findings suggest that eHealth plays a crucial role in enhancing the psychological health of older adults by facilitating both external (family and friends) and internal (self-esteem) factors. These results highlight the importance of integrating social support and self-esteem into eHealth interventions to improve the psychological health of older adults.