Background
Elderly people’s life is affected by multiple factors including social support, which is of the utmost importance. This study aimed to explore the association between social support and happiness as well as the impact of types of social support on happiness among elders.
Methods
This descriptive and analytical study was carried out on 411 elderly men and women referred to the retirement, cultural, and rehabilitation centers in Hamadan, west of Iran. Participants were selected by a multi-stage random sampling method. The research instrument included a questionnaire consisting of three parts: demographic information, the Oxford Argyle Happiness Inventory, and a Questionnaire derived from Social Support Theory. The questionnaire was completed through a self-report study. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple linear regression, independent t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance in IBM SPSS Software ver. 22.0.
Results
The mean for happiness was reported as 41.17±15.2. The values given for social support were 29.40±11.95 and for its dimensions were 7.53±3.89 and 13.70±4.90 for informational support and emotional support, respectively. Moreover, the mean value for appraisal support was 3.48±2.37 and was 4.70±2.56 for instrumental support. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that social support and demographic variables could account for approximately 25% (R2 =0.25) of changes in the variable of happiness.
Conclusion
High social support could increase happiness among elders. The quality and quantity of social support can be taken into account as proper determinants and predictors of happiness among elders.

Citations

• A study on user satisfaction with medical devices for the elderly: The case of blood pressure monitors
  Yuanwu Shi, Jiuye Sun
  Social Science & Medicine.2026; 392: 118950.     CrossRef
• Perceived burdensomeness and happiness in cohabiting older adults: The serial mediating roles of mental well-being and loneliness
  Zahide Akeren, Ihsan Akeren, Servet Kalyoncuo
  Geriatric Nursing.2026; 70: 104003.     CrossRef
• A study on the determination of the factors affecting the happiness levels of older individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society
  Nurşen Çomaklı Duvar, Ahmet Kamil Kabakuş, Neslihan İyit, Ömer Alkan, Boshra A. Arnout
  PLOS ONE.2025; 20(1): e0316000.     CrossRef
• Exploring the role of perceived social support, and spiritual well-being in predicting the family Caregiving burden among the parents of disabled children
  Mohammad Taher, Nemat Azizi, Mohammadreza Rohani, Parisa Hosseini Koukamari, Fatemeh Rashidi, Marzieh Araban, Anthony Coetzer-Liversage, Mahmood Karimy
  BMC Public Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Impact of different leisure participation patterns on stress coping and authentic happiness in married women
  Anguo Fu, Tianjiao Yang, Pengcheng Wen, Zhengjiang Yin
  Leisure Studies.2025; : 1.     CrossRef
• The impact of intergenerational support on the mental health of older adults: a discussion of three dimensions of support
  Kang Ren, Jing Lan, Lingyu Ge, Lei Zhou
  Frontiers in Public Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The impact of perceived family social support on life satisfaction among older adults in Türkiye during COVID-19: Mediating roles of loneliness and coping strategies
  Yavuz Aslan, Orhan Koçak
  The British Journal of Social Work.2025; 55(6): 2976.     CrossRef
• Social support mediates the relationship between depression and subjective well-being in elderly patients with chronic diseases: Evidence from a survey in Rural Western China
  Zhonglian Li, Suxia Qin, Yafen Zhu, Quanxiang Zhou, Aijing Yi, Caiyun Mo, Jun Gao, Juhai Chen, Tianhui Wang, Zhanhui Feng, Xiangang Mo, Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya
  PLOS One.2025; 20(6): e0325029.     CrossRef
• The effect of social activity and social support on life satisfaction in older adults: Mediating role of social exclusion and moderating role of working status
  Orhan Koçak, Orhan Çevik, Murat Yıldırım
  Geriatric Nursing.2025; 65: 103492.     CrossRef
• An exploration of the dimensions of Filipino received social support
  Johnrev Guilaran, Aniceta Patricia T. Alingasa-Aguirre, Augil Marie Q. Robles
  Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.2025; 42(9): 2363.     CrossRef
• Happiness in the European Union: A Panel Regression Model and TOPSIS Analysis
  Alexandra-Nicoleta Ciucu Durnoi, Adina-Iuliana Jigani, Nora Chiriţă, Camelia Delcea
  Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence.2025; 19(1): 2650.     CrossRef
• Cross-sectional study on the association of life course determinants and biopsychosocial frailty in community-dwelling older people in Chile
  Catalina Muñoz-Castillo, Carlos Rojas-Zepeda, Solange Parra-Soto, Francisco Vargas-Silva, Samuel Duran-Agüero, Felipe Araya-Quintanilla , Rafael Pizarro-Mena
  MedUNAB.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Happiness in Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study
  Nesrin Duman, Vildan Tezel, Enise Nur Inan, Sevval Cengiz
  Journal of Aging and Long-Term Care.2025; : 163.     CrossRef
• Prevalence and Perception of Low Social Support among the Geriatric Population in Rural South India: A Mixed-method Study
  Ravikrishnan Ravi, Prasanna Venkatesh, Murugan Venkatesan
  Journal of Surgical Specialties and Rural Practice.2025; 6(3): 73.     CrossRef
• The influence of social support from intermediary organizations on innovativeness and subjective happiness in community-based tourism
  Sanghoon Lee, Namhee Lee, Timothy J. Lee, Sunghyup Sean Hyun
  Journal of Sustainable Tourism.2024; 32(4): 795.     CrossRef
• How is the problematic smartphone use affected by social support? A research model supported by the mediation of Ikigai
  Orçun Muhammet Şimşek, Aysel Basmaci Kaya, Orhan Çevık, Orhan Koçak
  Current Psychology.2024; 43(2): 1102.     CrossRef
• Psychometric properties of the PERMA-Profiler for measuring well-being in Spanish older adults
  Teresa Paniagua-Granados, Virginia Fernández-Fernández, Mª Ángeles Molina-Martínez, Octavio Luque-Reca
  Current Psychology.2024; 43(8): 6713.     CrossRef
• The effects of social support and social prejudice on emotional affect among drug users: the mediating role of resilience
  Yixin Zhang, Tour Liu, Bin Zhang, Mingli Li, Miao Chao
  Journal of Substance Use.2024; 29(6): 1070.     CrossRef
• Factors associated with happiness among community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review
  Madson Alan Maximiano-Barreto, Lívio Rodrigues Leal, Rebeca Mendes de Paula Pessoa, Ana Julia de Lima Bomfim, Daiene de Morais, Bruna Moretti Luchesi, Marcos Hortes Nisihara Chagas
  Geriatric Nursing.2024; 56: 124.     CrossRef
• Pilot testing cognitive stimulation intervention on older adults' cognitive function, cognitive self-efficacy, and sense of happiness
  Reham Magdy Mohammed AbdElsalam, Samia ElHusseini Abd-ElMageed ElKholy
  Geriatric Nursing.2024; 56: 191.     CrossRef
• Makroekonomik ve Sosyal Göstergelerin Mutluluk Üzerindeki Etkilerinin Araştırılması: Panel Kantil Regresyon Yaklaşımı
  Kadriye Nurdanay Öztürk, Öyküm Esra Yiğit
  Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi.2024; : 62.     CrossRef
• Demystifying the nexus between Forest cover and happiness: A study of global economies
  Bhavya Advani, Ashis Kumar Pradhan, Vinita Mohindra, Nenavath Sreenu
  Forest Policy and Economics.2024; 167: 103294.     CrossRef
• Deciphering temporal perspectives: A key to happiness and optimism for healthy aging in nursing practices”
  Mona Metwally El-Sayed, Heba Ahmed Mohsen Hassen, Eman Mahmoud Mohammed Shoukr, Mahmoud Abdelwahab Khedr, Ayman Mohamed El-Ashry
  Geriatric Nursing.2024; 59: 234.     CrossRef
• Social Support and Elderly People’s Happiness in China: Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS)
  Li Xu, Chunyu Mao, Kaiqiang Cheng
  Journal of Statistics and Economics.2024; 1(3): 40.     CrossRef
• Dukungan Keluarga dan Kesejahteraan Psikologis Lansia di Desa Kesambi
  Mey Lucky Susanti, Lely Ika Mariyati
  Journal of Islamic Psychology.2024; 1(2): 11.     CrossRef
• Revisiting the determinants of happiness from a grounded theory approach
  Kamlesh Singh, Gaurav Saxena, Mandeep Mahendru
  International Journal of Ethics and Systems.2023; 39(1): 21.     CrossRef
• Associations of Perceived and Objective Neighborhood Environment Attributes with Walking in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Faezeh Behnamifard, Zohre Shafieiyoun, Mostafa Behzadfar
  Journal of Urban Planning and Development.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Relationship between Grateful Disposition and Subjective Happiness of Korean Young Adults: Focused on Double Mediating Effect of Social Support and Positive Interpretation
  Jae-Sun An, Kyung-Hyun Suh
  Behavioral Sciences.2023; 13(4): 287.     CrossRef
• Children's internal migration and subjective wellbeing of older parents left behind: Spiritual or financial support?
  Ying Lu, Yi-Yang Lin, Jun-Qiao Qu, Yi Zeng, Wan-Zong Wu
  Frontiers in Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The Role of Spirituality and Social Support in Iranian Elderly Happiness: A Cross-sectional Study
  Elahe Ezati, Parisa Hosseinikoukamari, Mahmood Karimy, Jordann Rawlins, Fatemeh Akbartabar, Paria Khalvandi
  Journal of Education and Community Health.2023; 10(1): 16.     CrossRef
• Ageing Happily in Ghana: How Does Social Inclusion Contribute?
  Razak M. Gyasi, André Hajek, Felix Asante, Burnett Tetteh Accam, Solomon Osei‐Tutu, Masoud Rahmati, Vyda Mamley Hervie, Kabila Abass, David R. Phillips
  Psychogeriatrics.2023; 23(5): 821.     CrossRef
• The Impact of Living Arrangements and Social Capital on the Well-Being of the Elderly
  Chun-Chang Lee, Ruo-Yu Huang, Yun-Ling Wu, Wen-Chih Yeh, Hung-Chung Chang
  Healthcare.2023; 11(14): 2050.     CrossRef
• The impact of intergenerational support on multidimensional poverty in old age: empirical analysis based on 2018 CLHLS data
  Hong Tan, Zhihua Dong, Haomiao Zhang
  Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Socio-economic determinants of subjective wellbeing of Indians in the post-liberalization era: evidence from the world value survey
  Neha Kumari, Naresh Chandra Sahu
  Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science.2023; 7(4): 1091.     CrossRef
• Functional limitation and happiness among older adults: the multiple mediating role of intergenerational support and intergenerational relationship
  Angdi Zhou, Yiwen Song, Xinru Li, Bingqin Hu, Yitong Chen, Peiyao Cui, Jinghua Li
  Frontiers in Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The relationship between social support and happiness in older adults referred to health centers in Zarrin Shahr, Iran
  Zohreh Beygi, Mahnaz Solhi, Seyed Fahim Irandoost, Agha Fatemeh Hoseini
  Heliyon.2023; 9(9): e19529.     CrossRef
• Relación entre apoyos y felicidad en adultos mayores en Bogotá, Colombia estudio transversal.
  Juan Carlos González Quiñones , Glorys Maria Jiménez Martínez, Paola Andrea Prada Ospina, Miller Zea Rojas, Abad Roa Ariza, Jenny Alexandra Pinzón Ramírez
  Revista Cuarzo.2023; 29(1): 7.     CrossRef
• Social Support Status of the Elderly Population in Selected Villages in a Central India District
  Ruchita R. Khandre, Abhishek Raut, Anuj Mundra
  Indian Journal of Community Medicine.2023; 48(2): 291.     CrossRef
• Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors Among Centenarians in Nanjing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Xin Xu, Yuan Zhao, Siyou Xia, Panpan Cui, Wenmin Tang, Xiaoliang Hu, Bei Wu
  Social Indicators Research.2022; 160(2-3): 735.     CrossRef
• Height and quality of life among older adults (50+) in India: a cross-sectional study
  Y. Selvamani, P. Arokiasamy
  Journal of Biosocial Science.2022; 54(3): 411.     CrossRef
• Association between Happiness and Economic Status among Older Adults in Two Myanmar Regions
  Yuri Sasaki, Yugo Shobugawa, Ikuma Nozaki, Daisuke Takagi, Yuiko Nagamine, Masafumi Funato, Yuki Chihara, Yuki Shirakura, Kay Thi Lwin, Poe Ei Zin, Thae Zarchi Bo, Tomofumi Sone, Hla Hla Win
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(6): 3216.     CrossRef
• Relationship between morality, happiness, and social support among elderly people
  Hanem Ahmed Abd El Khalek Ahmed, Bothina Elsayed Said Mohamed
  Middle East Current Psychiatry.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The Relationship between Social Support and Anxiety among Rural Older People in Elderly Caring Social Organizations: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Lanlan Zhao, Xin Zheng, Kai Ji, Zhengsheng Wang, Lingzhi Sang, Xuefei Chen, Ling Tang, Ying Zhu, Zhongliang Bai, Ren Chen
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(18): 11411.     CrossRef
• Comparing the impact of social support on the life satisfaction of widowed and non-widowed elders
  Hua Tian, Jie Chen
  Frontiers in Psychology.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Well-Being of Retirees in Abu Dhabi—A Discriminant Analysis of the Happy and the Not-So-Happy Groups
  Masood Badri, Mugheer Al Khaili, Hamad Al Dhaheri, Guang Yang, Muna Al Bahar, Asma Al Rashdi
  Open Journal of Social Sciences.2022; 10(03): 36.     CrossRef
• The Integration and Development of Piano Art and Media Education and Its Influence on the Long-Term Care and Happiness of the Elderly People
  Xuan Chen, Fangwei Huang, Yingfeng Wang
  Frontiers in Psychology.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Rural-urban and gender differences in the association between community care services and elderly individuals’ mental health: a case from Shaanxi Province, China
  Liu Yang, Lijian Wang, Xiuliang Dai
  BMC Health Services Research.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Expressive arts therapy for subjective happiness and loneliness feelings in institutionalized elderly women: A pilot study
  Komal Mishra, Nishi Misra, Nandita Chaube
  Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy.2021; 12(1): 38.     CrossRef
• Happiness Level and Life Qualıty of the Elderly Living in Different Life Conditions: A Comparative Study
  Gül DERTLİ, Mehmet KURÇER, Zeynep ERDOĞAN
  Online Türk Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi.2021; 6(1): 53.     CrossRef
• Social Support, Happiness, and Self-Rated Health among Older Adults: A Population-Based Study
  M. Saber, V. Rashedi, M. M. FadakarDavarani, V. Borhaninejad
  Advances in Gerontology.2021; 11(1): 22.     CrossRef
• Factors Associated with Happiness among Malaysian Elderly
  Shamsul Azhar Shah, Nazarudin Safian, Saharuddin Ahmad, Wan Abdul Hannan Wan Ibadullah, Zulkefley bin Mohammad, Siti Rohani Nurumal, Juliana Mansor, Mohd Fairuz Addnan, Yugo Shobugawa
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(7): 3831.     CrossRef
• Core Self-evaluation, Generativity, and Religious Experiences as Predictors of Social Support Giving and Its Relation to Happiness in Thai Elderly
  Suchinkanlayanatham Wichienthano, Duchduen Bhanthumnavin, Duangduen Bhanthumnavin
  International Journal for Innovation Education and Research.2021; 9(6): 56.     CrossRef
• Are there heterogeneous impacts of social support on subjective well-being?
  Qingqing Hu, Xiaobing Wang, Mark Xu
  National Accounting Review.2021; 3(4): 360.     CrossRef
• Unmet Healthcare Needs Among Elderly Malaysians
  Shamsul Azhar Shah, Nazarudin Safian, Saharuddin Ahmad, Siti Rohani Nurumal, Zulkefley Mohammad, Juliana Mansor, Wan Abdul Hannan Wan Ibadullah, Yugo Shobugawa, Megumi Rosenberg
  Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.2021; Volume 14: 2931.     CrossRef
• The effectiveness of an educational intervention to enhance happiness in Iranian older people: Applying social support theory
  Babak Moeini, Majid Barati, Maryam Farhadian, Milad Heydari Ara
  Australasian Journal on Ageing.2020;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Who is happier among preclinical medical students: the impact of chronotype preference
  Makbule Neslisah Tan, Vildan Mevsim, Merve Pozlu Cifci, Huseyin Sayan, Anıl Emre Ercan, Omerul Faruk Ergin, Umut Oksuz, Salih Ensari
  Chronobiology International.2020; 37(8): 1163.     CrossRef
• Relationship between Happiness and Mental Health with Social Capital among Health Workers
  Babak Moeini, Forouzan Rezapur-Shahkolai, Leili Tapak, Azam Geravandi, Shahryar Parsamajd
  Journal of Education and Community Health.2020; 7(2): 119.     CrossRef
• Effect of Spiritual Intelligence on Quality of Nursing Care of Educational and Treatment Hospitals in Hamadan
  Zohre Sabzianpur, Soraya Nuri
  Avicenna Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Care.2019; 27(1): 18.     CrossRef
• What motivates informal caregivers of people with dementia (PWD): a qualitative study
  Shakiba Zahed, Maryam Emami, Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi, Ahmad Ali Eslami, Majid Barekatain, Fereshteh Zamani-Alavijeh
  BMC Palliative Care.2019;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The impact of social support on the quality of life of the elderly from rural areas
  Milena Despotović, Dragana Ristić-Ignjatović, Gorica Sbutega-Milošević, Mile Despotović, Ljiljana Antić
  Medicinski casopis.2019; 53(3): 86.     CrossRef
• The relationship between quality of life and social support among nurses: A cross-sectional study
  Fatemeh Shojaei, Maryam Puryaghoob, Malihe Babahaji, SomayyeGhavipanje Rezaei, Samira Jafari
  Industrial Psychiatry Journal.2019; 28(2): 242.     CrossRef