Family support and depressive symptoms: a 23-year follow-up.

We examined change in family support and depressive symptoms over the course of 23 years and included the potential moderators of gender and participation in treatment. A sample of 373 depressed individuals provided data in five waves, with baseline, 1-year, 4-year, 10-year, and 23-year follow-ups. Multilevel modeling was used to evaluate longitudinal relationships between variables. Higher family support was associated with less depression at baseline and predicted a steeper trajectory of recovery from depression over 23 years. This relationship was moderated by gender, such that women with supportive families reported the most rapid recovery from depression. Evaluating family context may be clinically relevant when beginning treatment with a depressed patient, particularly for female patients.