title: Direct and buffering effects of social support on depressive symptoms of the elderly with home help.
abstract: 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.
authors: University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Hashimoto
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kurita
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Haratani
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Fujii
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ishibashi
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D012944:Social Support