Chronic disease has profound impacts on the structural features of individuals’ interpersonal connections such as bridging – ties to people who are otherwise poorly connected to each other.
Using data on 1,555 older adults from National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, I find that older adults diagnosed with chronic illness (1) tend to have lower social network bridging potential in their networks, between both kin and non-kin members. (2) report frequent interactions with close ties but fewer neighbors, friends, and colleagues in their networks, further mediating the association between chronic illness and bridging. One explanation is that multidimensional challenges from chronic disease might lead to withdrawal from bridging positions in complicated social environments. An alternative is the selection process in the network, which strains weak ties that otherwise yield bridging potential. These findings underlie the possible mechanisms underlying bridging and highlight the significance of understanding the dual implications of