A fundamental limitation of this study concerns the use of a cross-sectional design to examine mediation effects among filial support, sense of community, psychological resilience, and life satisfaction in older adults. While the authors employ structural equation modeling to test theoretically grounded pathways, the absence of longitudinal data renders the proposed mediation model causally ambiguous.
Mediation implies a temporal sequence, that the independent variable influences the mediator, which in turn affects the dependent variable. However, the simultaneity of measurement in a cross-sectional framework precludes any definitive inference about the directionality of relationships. It remains plausible, for instance, that life satisfaction itself may foster psychological resilience, or that resilient individuals are more likely to perceive stronger community ties and receive greater filial support, rather than resilience arising as a consequence of these variables.
Although the authors acknowledge this design limitation in passing, the interpretation of results and subsequent policy recommendations suggest a stronger causal confidence than the data permit. This undermines the internal validity of the proposed mediation effects, and future research should prioritize longitudinal or experimental methodologies to empirically verify the directional assumptions of the model.
In sum, while the study offers valuable correlational insights, its capacity to substantiate claims regarding mediating mechanisms is significantly constrained by its design.