title: Aspects of social support associated with depression at hospitalization and follow-up assessment among cardiac patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High levels of depressive symptoms have been shown to affect the morbidity, mortality, and functioning of patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Findings have shown that social support is associated with depression in both patient and community samples. This study examined various aspects of social support as they relate to depressive symptoms in patients with MI, both in the hospital and 2 weeks later.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) pilot study, measures of perceived social support, social networks, social support received, and social conflict were administered to 196 patients with MI. These patients also were administered the Beck Depression Inventory and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Depression was reassessed 2 weeks later. Relations between social support indicators and the depression measures were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of depression symptoms was high, especially among poorer and younger patients. There was modest improvement across time. Patients with high social support scores, particularly those reflecting perceived support, had lower scores on depression measures at baseline. High levels of perceived support and low social conflict at baseline were associated with less follow-up depression, as measured by the Beck cognitive scale, but not the Beck somatic scale nor the Hamilton scale. There were few associations with measures of social networks and received support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support indicators were differentially related to depression among patients with MI while in the hospital and 2 weeks later. The pattern of associations also depended on the measure of depression. A broad assessment strategy of both social support and depression is needed for a full understanding of their interrelations.
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. foot@acpub.duke.edu
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Barefoot
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Burg
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cornell
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Czajkowski
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Freedland
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hosking
authors.forename: Parinda
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khatri
authors.forename: Carol Rogers
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pitula
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sheps
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D012944:Social Support