Changes in trust and trait anxiety: The mediating role of changes in self-rated health among older adults in Taiwan.

Abstract

This study examined whether changes in generalized trust and bonding trust are related to changes in trait anxiety, and whether changes in self-rated health mediate the relationship between changes in two types of trust and trait anxiety among older Taiwanese adults. A hierarchical regression model and a mediation model were separately used to analyze two-wave panel data on 763 older adults from the Panel Study of Family Dynamics in Taiwan. Our findings show that changes in bonding trust (but not changes in generalized trust) are associated with changes in trait anxiety. The results show that sustaining a high level of bonding trust is associated with consistently good health, which in turn decreases anxiety. The relationship between changes in bonding trust and trait anxiety was found to be partially mediated by changes in self-rated health among older people. The results suggest that bonding trust is more beneficial for the promotion of self-rated health and reducing trait anxiety than generalized trust in a given context. Policies aiming to ameliorate anxiety among older adults should take into consideration the importance of the developing bonding trust and promoting health in Chinese societies. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 833-838.