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Direct and buffering effects of social support on depressive symptoms of the elderly with home help
Author(s) -
Hashimoto Kimiko,
Kurita Hiroshi,
Haratani Takashi,
Fujii Ken,
Ishibashi Tomoaki
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1819.1999.00478.x
Subject(s) - social support , stressor , depressive symptoms , depression (economics) , center for epidemiologic studies depression scale , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , gerontology , cognition , economics , psychotherapist , macroeconomics
The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) and the effect of life stressors or social support on depressive symptoms in 303 elderly people receiving social services at home. We conducted a questionnaire survey six times with a 1‐month interval. In the initial wave of questionnaires, 92 (31%) scored 16 points or above on the CES‐D, indicative of a risk for depression. Before life stressors, subjects with low‐level support showed significantly more severe depressive symptoms than those with high‐level support. Subjects with low‐level support were significantly more depressive after life stressors than they had been before, whereas those with middle‐ and high‐level support showed no such difference. The former and latter results seem to suggest the direct and buffering effects of social support on depressive symptoms, respectively.