title: Functional impairment, illness burden, and depressive symptoms in older adults: does type of social relationship matter?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The nature of interpersonal relationships, whether supportive or critical, may affect the association between health status and mental health outcomes. We examined the potential moderating effects of social support, as a buffer, and family criticism, as an exacerbating factor, on the association between illness burden, functional impairment and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our sample of 735 older adults, 65 years and older, was recruited from internal and family medicine primary care offices. Trained interviewers administered the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Duke Social Support Inventory, and Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale. Physician-rated assessments of health, including the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, were also completed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear multivariable hierarchical regression results indicate that social interaction was a significant buffer, weakening the association between illness burden and depressive symptoms, whereas perceived social support buffered the relationship between functional impairment and depressive symptoms. Family criticism and instrumental social support were not significant moderators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type of medical dysfunction, whether illness or impairment, may require different therapeutic and supportive approaches. Enhancement of perceived social support, for those who are impaired, and encouragement of social interactions, for those who are ill, may be important intervention targets for treatment of depressive symptoms in older adult primary care patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hatfield
authors.forename: Jameson K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lyness
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support