The British Journal of Psychiatry 154: 478-485 (1989)
© 1989 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Social support and the outcome of major depression

LK George, DG Blazer, DC Hughes and N Fowler
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.

One hundred and fifty middle-aged and elderly adults with a diagnosis of major depression were assessed initially as in-patients, and were reinterviewed 6-32 months later. Both size of social network and subjective social support were significant predictors of depressive symptoms at follow-up, with baseline depression scores and other predictors of outcome status statistically controlled. Subjective social support was most strongly associated with major depression; this effect was significantly stronger for middle-aged than older adults, and for men than women. Differences in the effects of marital status, size of social network, and subjective social support also suggest the importance of distinguishing between involvement in and quality of interpersonal relationships.

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