Fang Yi, Jiang Yuqi, Ma Linlin, Chen Huixian, Li Zhi, Luo Fen, Jiang Wen, Cai Shuya, Guo Qiaoqiao, Yin Zhiqin
School of Nursing, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
The First Hospital of Jiaxing City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2024 Aug 23;17:3049-3065. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S468342. eCollection 2024.
While previous studies have extensively examined the impact of receiving positive social support during social support interactions on depressive symptoms among older adults, adverse effects experienced, such as being rejected or ignored, are often overlooked. Moreover, there has been limited discussion on the effects of giving social support to others. Thus, this study investigates the impacts of social support given by disabled older adults to others on their own depressive symptoms, as well as the mediating role of receiving social support (both positive and negative aspects) and the moderating effect of the activity of daily living (ADL).
This cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted in Wenzhou and Jiaxing City, China, from September 2021 to September 2022, with a total of 255 disabled older adults meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were collected face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. The participants were asked to complete the Barthel Index Scale, the Chinese version of the Positive and Negative Social Exchange Scale, the Giving Social Support questionnaire, and the Short Form Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale to measure disability, receiving positive and negative social support, giving social support, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, mediation effect tests, and moderation effect tests were used to analyse the questionnaire data.
The social support provided by disabled older adults to others primarily involved companionship and care. The positive aspect of social support received was largely emotional support, while the negative aspect was mainly characterised by failure to obtain help and unsympathetic behaviour. Providing social support was found to be associated with a potential beneficial effect on depressive symptoms, linked to lower severity, with this effect fully mediated by receiving social support. Specifically, receiving emotional support accounted for 56.63% of the effect size, while failure to obtain help and unsympathetic behaviour contributed 21.55%, and rejection and neglect collectively accounted for 21.83%. Additionally, the effect was partially moderated by ADL, with older adults exhibiting lower ADL scores showing a greater benefit from both giving and receiving social support compared to those with higher ADL scores.
It is imperative to recognise and encourage disabled older adults to provide social support to others, especially emotional support, while reducing negative feedback, such as neglect and unnecessary blame. This could alleviate their depressive symptoms and promote psycho-social well-being.
虽然先前的研究广泛探讨了在社会支持互动中获得积极社会支持对老年人抑郁症状的影响，但诸如被拒绝或被忽视等不良经历往往被忽视。此外，关于向他人提供社会支持的影响的讨论有限。因此，本研究调查了残疾老年人向他人提供社会支持对其自身抑郁症状的影响，以及接受社会支持（包括积极和消极方面）的中介作用和日常生活活动（ADL）的调节作用。
本横断面社区研究于2021年9月至2022年9月在中国温州市和嘉兴市进行，共有255名残疾老年人符合纳入和排除标准。数据通过结构化问卷进行面对面收集。参与者被要求完成巴氏指数量表、中文版正负社会交换量表、给予社会支持问卷和中国老年抑郁量表简表，分别用于测量残疾程度、接受积极和消极社会支持、给予社会支持以及抑郁症状。采用描述性统计分析、相关性分析、中介效应检验和调节效应检验对问卷数据进行分析。
残疾老年人向他人提供的社会支持主要包括陪伴和照顾。获得的社会支持的积极方面主要是情感支持，而消极方面主要表现为未获得帮助和缺乏同情心的行为。发现提供社会支持与对抑郁症状的潜在有益影响相关，与较低的严重程度有关，这种影响完全由接受社会支持介导。具体而言，接受情感支持占效应量的56.63%，未获得帮助和缺乏同情心的行为占21.55%，拒绝和忽视共占21.83%。此外，该效应部分受ADL调节，与ADL得分较高的老年人相比，ADL得分较低的老年人从给予和接受社会支持中获益更大。
必须认识到并鼓励残疾老年人向他人提供社会支持，尤其是情感支持，同时减少诸如忽视和不必要指责等负面反馈。这可以减轻他们的抑郁症状，促进心理社会幸福感。
