Virtual Community, Sense of Belonging, and Mental Health Among Elderly Migrants in Urban China

Mental health challenges among elderly migrants have emerged as a significant issue within the backdrop of aging and rapid urbanization. Being a marginalized group in urban settings, they face multiple mental health risks, including a loss of social identity and belonging, limited social connections, and social stigma. While existing research has explored the relationship between these challenges and mental health, there is a lack of studies focusing on strategies to improve the mental well-being of elderly migrants.

This study aims to address this gap by initially examining how social participation can enhance the connection between a sense of belonging and mental health. Furthermore, in light of technological advancements and the rise of virtual communities, the research will compare the effects of participating in virtual versus traditional offline communities on boosting a sense of belonging and promoting mental health. Based on the data from the Guangzhou Metropolitan Panel Survey (GPS), the result expects that elderly migrants who utilize smartphones to engage in virtual communities will experience a stronger sense of belonging in Guangzhou and exhibit better mental health, regardless of their involvement in traditional community activities. Our study contributes to understanding the pathway between migrants’ sense of belonging and mental health promotion through the behavior of social participation. The result suggests that virtual communities offer a fresh approach to fostering belonging and sustaining positive mental health among elderly migrants in urban environments, countering potential limitations of offline engagements like social exclusion and restricted access.