title: Social support, depression, and physical disability: age and diagnostic group effects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social support is an important resource that may benefit individuals aging with physical disabilities, although its effects may vary depending on age, sex, and type of disability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To (1) examine differences in social support--and how support might vary as a function of age and sex--in samples of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury (SCI), and muscular dystrophy (MD) and (2) understand the extent that associations between different support domains and depression might be moderated by disability diagnosis, sex and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample (N = 1416) of individuals with MS, SCI, and MD completed surveys that included measures of perceived social support and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant support differences were found between diagnostic groups. There was a gradual decrease in social support with chronological age, and women reported more support than men, particularly friend support. Levels of perceived friend support were negatively associated with depression, and the associations between social support and depression did not differ as a function of age, sex, or diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support is similarly associated with lower levels of depression for men and women, across disability diagnoses and all ages. Being a man and being older may be associated with lower levels of perceived support. Research is needed to determine if interventions that improve support will decrease depression and improve quality of life in persons with disabilities, particularly for men and individuals who are aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359612, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104-2499, USA. Electronic address: mjensen@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359612, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359612, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bombardier
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359612, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yorkston
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359612, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miró
authors.affiliation: Unit for the Study and Treatment of Pain - ALGOS and Research Center for Behavior Assessment (CRAMC), Department of Psychology and Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ivan R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Molton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; Disability; Social support