Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Does social support buffer functional decline in elderly patients with unipolar depression?

J C Hays1, D C Steffens, E P Flint

  • 1Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. judith.hays@duke.edu

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|November 3, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Social support offers protection against functional decline in elderly patients with major depressive disorder. Instrumental support aids daily living, while subjective and structural support buffers the most depressed patients.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Implementation Research Is Underdeveloped in Oral Health: Bridging the Gap.

Journal of dental research·2026
Same author

Genome-wide screen to identify genetic loci associated with cognitive decline in late-life depression.

International psychogeriatrics·2025
Same author

Evaluating the implementation of a multi-level mHealth study to improve hydroxyurea utilization in sickle cell disease.

Frontiers in health services·2023
Same author

The role of accountability in adherence programs.

Patient education and counseling·2022
Same author

Patient experiences with a phone-based cardiovascular risk reduction intervention: Are there differences between women and men?

Patient education and counseling·2021
Same author

Genome-wide screen to identify genetic loci associated with cognitive decline in late-life depression.

International psychogeriatrics·2020

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Psychiatry
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent condition in the elderly.
  • Functional decline is a significant concern for older adults with MDD.
  • The role of social support in mitigating functional decline in this population requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if social support protects against general or selective functional decline in elderly patients with MDD.
  • To examine the impact of different dimensions of social support on functional abilities.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 113 elderly patients with unipolar depression over 12 months.
  • Assessed basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) performance.
  • Utilized Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores and social support domains as predictors in multivariable regression models.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Instrumental social support showed marginal protection against decline in instrumental ADLs.
  • Larger social networks, frequent interaction, and perceived support adequacy buffered against declines in basic ADLs, particularly in severely depressed patients.
  • Patients generally showed improved instrumental ADL scores and stable basic ADL scores.

Conclusions:

  • Instrumental social support generally protects against worsening instrumental ADLs in elderly patients with recurrent unipolar depression.
  • Subjective and structural social support dimensions protect severely depressed elderly patients from losing basic functional abilities.