Social support, personality and depressive symptoms over 7 years: the Health and Lifestyle cohort.
BACKGROUND
We tested the hypothesis that a negative relationship between social support and depression is stronger in extroverts.


METHODS
Data on social support and personality were obtained from an existing cohort of 9003 adults (the Health and Lifestyle Survey, UK), of whom 3594 respondents who were followed-up 7 years later contributed to the present analysis. Six depression items from the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, summed, were divided into five levels and a proportional odds analysis was performed. Information on social support was also obtained at follow-up.


RESULTS
For females, there was a highly significant interaction between Time of Residence in Area and extroversion (P<0.001). For males, interactions involving Adults in Household and Living as Married reached borderline significance (0.05<P<0.10). Eleven other interactions with extroversion were nonsignificant (P>0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
It is unlikely that a lack of social support is more or less harmful for introverts, although the hypothesis should be re-tested in a study with a much shorter period of follow-up and higher response rate.
Grainge
M J
MJ
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, UK.
Brugha
T S
TS
Spiers
N
N
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012944:Social Support; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology