title: Associations of social relationships with consultation for symptoms of depression: a community study of depression in older men and women in Québec.
abstract: To assess associations between social relationships and consultation for symptoms of depression, data from a representative sample of 2,811 French-speaking community-dwelling older adults in Québec were used. Less than half of the older adults meeting DSM criteria for depression (N = 379; 47.1%) had sought consultation about their depression-relevant symptoms in the preceding 12 months. Having a cohabitant partner or having children were not associated with frequency of consultation for women. Men without a partner tended to consult more frequently than men with a cohabiting partner (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 0.81, 7.88). None of the men without a confidant had consulted. Among the 67 men with a confidant, consultation was more frequent among those not cohabiting with a partner (70%) than among those with a cohabiting partner (46%). The influence of social relationships on consultation for depression differed in men and women in this population of depressed elderly people in Québec.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal. samiatahiri@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Samia-Djemaa
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Mechakra-Tahiri
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Zunzunegui
authors.forename: Micheline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dubé
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Préville
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D011792:Quebec; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data