Social Networks and Help-Seeking among the Elderly

Abstract

Although it is widely believed that social networks play a role in determining help-seeking behavior, empirical studies have reported inconsistent findings. It is argued here that social network tends to be inappropriately equated with support network. This is partly because virtually all of the varied conceptualizations of social networks ignore the perceived satisfaction of the focal individual with his/her interaction with the network. We develop a typology of relationships with social networks which includes information about both the level of one's interaction with the network and one's satisfaction with the level of interaction. The resulting typology has four categories: engaged, abandoned, trapped, and disengaged. Empirical analysis of data on 883 elderly persons reveals that the categories are differentially related to use of health and social services among the elderly. The implications of these findings for aging policy are discussed.