Giving social support to outside family may be a desirable buffer against depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: Japan gerontological evaluation study

BACKGROUND: Depression is the leading cause of impaired quality of life and burden upon societies. Social supports can buffer against depressive symptoms effectively. The aim of this study is to determine the type of social support to have a positive relationship with depressive symptoms in healthy population. METHODS: 11,869 male and 12,763 female residents within the age range of 65–100 were analyzed cross-sectionally with regard to depressive symptoms (evaluated by the Japanese version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale), social supports (four dimensions: giving or receiving, emotional or instrumental), and covariates utilizing data collected by the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Analyzed participants were GDS scores ≤ 10 and independence in ADL, who could give and receive supports well. Multiple linear models were applied for the analysis. RESULTS: All supports between husband and wife were significantly associated with lower depressive degrees. In comparison with the differences between receiving and giving supports in predictive effects on depressive degrees, giving social supports to outside family, emotional or instrumental, were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: There is a possibility that not only supports between husband and wife but giving social supports to outside family accounts for psychological benefits against depression, in addition to supports between husband and wife.