Wilby Frances
College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
J Gerontol Soc Work. 2011 Apr;54(3):246-59. doi: 10.1080/01634372.2010.540074.
Social isolation and inadequate social support have been identified as correlates of depression in older adults, although the relationship between depression and social isolation is not entirely understood (Dorfman et al., 1995). This study was conducted to describe the social networks of depressed older adults living in the community and to compare the social networks of depressed and nondepressed individuals, thus adding to the body of knowledge regarding social networks, older adults, and depression. The sample consisted of 91 respondents aged 65 and older who were randomly selected using the voter registry. About 27% (25) respondents reported significant levels of depressive symptomology as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). All respondents completed semistructured interviews that included questions about social contacts with family and others during the prior week. All participants reported social contact with family and friends during this period. In this sample, depressed elders were not socially isolated. They were more likely to report contacts with friends than those who were not depressed, and equally likely to report involvement in volunteer activities. Their likelihood of seeking social support was also comparable. Results emphasize the importance of peer relationships and suggest that, in some groups of older adults, social isolation may not be a hallmark of depressive symptoms.
社会隔离和社会支持不足已被确定为老年人抑郁症的相关因素，尽管抑郁症与社会隔离之间的关系尚未完全明确（多尔夫曼等人，1995年）。本研究旨在描述居住在社区中的抑郁老年人的社交网络，并比较抑郁个体与非抑郁个体的社交网络，从而增加关于社交网络、老年人和抑郁症的知识体系。样本由91名65岁及以上的受访者组成，他们是通过选民登记册随机选取的。约27%（25名）受访者通过流行病学研究中心抑郁量表（CES-D）测量出有显著程度的抑郁症状。所有受访者都完成了半结构化访谈，其中包括关于前一周与家人及其他人社交接触的问题。在此期间，所有参与者都报告了与家人和朋友的社交接触。在这个样本中，抑郁的老年人并未处于社会隔离状态。与非抑郁者相比，他们更有可能报告与朋友有接触，且参与志愿活动的可能性相当。他们寻求社会支持的可能性也相近。研究结果强调了同伴关系的重要性，并表明在某些老年人群体中，社会隔离可能并非抑郁症状的标志。
