Social support and depression in three groups of psychiatric patients and a group of medical controls.

Levels of depression and aspects of social support were examined in groups of chronic schizophrenic (n = 21), depressed (n = 26) and parasuicide patients (n = 26) and in a group of medical controls (n = 25). Depression was equally severe in the parasuicide and depressed groups and low in the schizophrenic and control groups. The psychiatric groups reported lower perceived levels of social support than did the controls. The depressed and parasuicide patients, but not the psychotic patients, felt dissatisfied with the available support. These results are interpreted as suggesting that deficiencies in social support may be more important in neurotic disorder, in particular depressive disorders, than in psychoses.