Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults: Examining Telehealth Accessibility, Perceived Social Support, and Digital Health Literacy

This study examines how telehealth accessibility and perceived social support relate to psychological well-being among older adults and whether digital health literacy strengthens the relationship between telehealth accessibility and psychological well-being. Drawing on self-determination theory and social cognitive theory, it considers how access to healthcare, supportive relationships, and digital capabilities may support autonomy, competence, and positive psychological functioning in later life. The proposed quantitative cross sectional design targets 385 adults aged 60 years or older through purposive sampling. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire will be available electronically and on paper, with neutral assistance offered when needed. IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 will support reliability assessment, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression, while Process Model 1 will examine moderation. The results show positive associations between telehealth accessibility and psychological well-being with β = 0.415 and between perceived social support and psychological well-being with β = 0.678. Perceived social support has the larger standardized coefficient, suggesting that supportive relationships deserve attention alongside healthcare access. The interaction coefficient of 0.567 indicates a stronger accessibility association at higher levels of digital health literacy. These patterns require confirmation using actual survey data. The study offers a framework for examining whether accessible services become more beneficial when older adults also have supportive relationships and the skills to understand digital health information. Its practical relevance lies in connecting service accessibility, social support, and literacy development within efforts to support psychological well-being in later life.