Abstract

This study focused on the fact that active social interaction could alleviate psychological distress such as depression, anxiety, and somatization among older adults, confirming the mediating effect of alexithymia. Online survey data were collected on active social activities, alexithymia, depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms of 213 older adults aged 65 to 85 years. Results indicated that active social interaction had negative relationships with depression, anxiety, and somatization in older adults. This means that people who actively interact with those around them experience less psychological distress. In addition, mediation analysis revealed that the association of active social interaction with depression, anxiety, and somatization was mediated by alexithymia. In other words, actively interacting with others benefits overall psychological health by allowing individuals to become more aware of and better describe their emotions. These results suggest that active interactions with others in old age makes awareness of one's emotions clearer and ultimately maintains mental health.