Associations between social alienation, psychological resilience, perceived intergenerational communication, and perceived care-related autonomy among rural older adults in China

Background: The intricate nexus between social alienation and perceived care-related autonomy, particularly in rural contexts, remains underexplored. This study aims to dissect this relationship by focusing on the mediating influence of psychological resilience and the moderating impact of perceived intergenerational communication among rural older adults populations. Methods: This investigation employed a multistage stratified sampling technique to gather data from 1,025 rural seniors (aged 60 and above) in Liaoning Province, China, over the period from February 17, 2021, to April 20, 2023. The survey instruments encompassed the Generalized Social Alienation Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, Perceived Intergenerational Communication Scale, and Perceived Care-related Autonomy Scale. Descriptive statistics were utilized for sample characterization. Linear regression analyses were conducted to scrutinize the link between intergenerational support from offspring and the seniors' perceived care-related autonomy. Statistical analyses were executed using SPSS (version 26) and PROCESS (version 4.1). Results: (1) Social alienation was negatively correlated with psychological resilience and perceived care-related autonomy and perceived intergenerational communication. Psychological resilience was positively associated with perceived intergenerational communication and perceived care-related autonomy. Perceived intergenerational communication was positively correlated with perceived care-related autonomy. (2) The mediation analysis showed that social alienation had a direct associations on the perceived care-related autonomy, and psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship; Perceived intergenerational communication moderates on the path to "social alienation → psychological resilience → perceived care-related autonomy"; Perceived intergenerational communication moderates the latter part of "social alienation → psychological resilience → perceived care-related autonomy." Limitations: (1) This research is a one-time observation study; (2) because of data constraints, other influencing factors may have been overlooked. Conclusion: This study delineates that under the mediating influence of psychological resilience, social alienation potentially diminishes perceived care-related autonomy. Additionally, the perception of intergenerational communication plays a dual moderating role: it not only influences the dynamic between social alienation and psychological resilience but also affects the correlation between social alienation and perceived care-related autonomy. These insights contribute significantly to the nuanced understanding of the interplay between social alienation and perceived care-related autonomy among the older adults.