Fear of falling and depression in older adults: the chain mediating effect of aging attitudes and social networks

Objective Falls are one of the common injuries faced by older adults, and fear of falling is a common psychological stressor for older adults.This study aims to explore the relationship between fear of falling and depression in older adults and to examine the chain-mediating roles of aging attitudes and social networks. Method A stratified cluster sampling method was employed to survey 1,158 adults aged 60 and above in July–August 2022 using the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), the Simplified Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ), and the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). Correlation analyses and mediation effect tests were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and SPSS PROCESS 4.2. Result The results revealed that fear of falling exerted both direct and indirect effects on depression. Aging attitudes and social networks served not only as independent mediators but also as chain mediators in the relationship between fear of falling and depression. Conclusion These findings suggest that healthcare providers should consider fear of falling as a key factor in the mental health of older adults and utilize this pathway to develop strategies aimed at reducing depression risk in this population.