Stoeckel Kimberly J, Litwin Howard
Israel Gerontological Data Center,Paul Baerwald School of Social Work,The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,Mount Scopus 91905,Jerusalem,Israel.
Int Psychogeriatr. 2016 Jan;28(1):39-47. doi: 10.1017/S1041610215000538. Epub 2015 May 6.
To examine the role of meaningful relationship characteristics, defined here as social network type, in relation to the association between functional impairment and depressive symptoms.
The sample included respondents aged 65 years and older (n = 26,401) from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Respondents were classified into one of seven relationship network types (Distal Children (living at a distance), Proximal Family (living nearby), Spouse, Other Family, Friend, Other, and No Network) according to the predominant characteristics of their most meaningful relationships. A two-stage regression analysis was performed in which the number of depressive symptoms was first regressed on the extent of functional impairment and network type, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, cognition, health, and country. In the second stage, variables representing the interactions between functional impairment and network type were considered.
The compositional characteristics of respondents' relationships in later life, as defined by social network type, were associated with depressive symptoms. In particular, when experiencing functional impairment, those without any meaningful relationships were found to have more depressive symptoms when compared to all other network types. The findings underscore the importance of meaningful relationships for the mental health of older adults experiencing functional impairment as well as the risk of experiencing depression among those who maintain no personal social network.
The study shows that differing constellations of meaningful relationships in later life yield different associations with mental health, especially when taking functional limitations into account.
探讨有意义的人际关系特征（在此定义为社交网络类型）在功能障碍与抑郁症状之间关联中的作用。
样本包括来自欧洲健康、老龄化与退休调查（SHARE）第四轮调查的65岁及以上受访者（n = 26,401）。根据受访者最有意义关系的主要特征，将其分为七种关系网络类型之一（远方子女（居住在远处）、近亲属（居住在附近）、配偶、其他亲属、朋友、其他和无社交网络）。进行了两阶段回归分析，首先将抑郁症状的数量对功能障碍程度和网络类型进行回归，并控制社会人口统计学特征、认知、健康状况和国家因素。在第二阶段，考虑代表功能障碍与网络类型之间相互作用的变量。
社交网络类型所定义的受访者晚年人际关系的构成特征与抑郁症状相关。特别是，在经历功能障碍时，与所有其他网络类型相比，没有任何有意义关系的人被发现有更多的抑郁症状。研究结果强调了有意义的关系对于经历功能障碍的老年人心理健康的重要性，以及没有个人社交网络的人患抑郁症的风险。
该研究表明，晚年有意义关系的不同组合与心理健康产生不同的关联，尤其是在考虑功能限制的情况下。
