E-ISSN : 2733-4538
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of social support and conflict in different relationships on depression and suicidal ideation among older adults residing in a Korean rural area, and also to explore whether there are any differences in these effects between the young-old and the old-old subgroups. The participants of this study were normal older adults who participated in the first wave of “Korean Social Life, Health and Aging Project (KSHAP).” They were all aged 60 years and above, and they were divided into two groups, i. e. the young-old group (aged 60-74 years) and the old-old group (aged 75 and over). In each group, the effect of social support and conflict in different relationships (spouse, family and kin, and neighbors and friends) on depression were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The effects of support and conflict from different sources on the suicidal ideation, which is especially related to depression of seniors, was also analyzed through a logistic regression analysis. For the young-old group, the relationships with spouse and friends were especially important. Less support received from spouse and friends, alternatively, greater conflict with spouse and friends resulted in greater depression experienced by participants. In the old-old group, however, social support and conflict from any types of relationship did not have significant effects on depression. In addition, more support received from family and kin, there was a decrease in suicidal ideation. Lastly, we discussed the implications for future study and clinical intervention. Moreover, limitations of this study were also discussed.
Abbey, A., Abramis, D. J., & Caplan, R. D. (1985). Effects of different sources of social support and social conflict on emotional well-being. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 6, 111-129.
Alexopoulos, G. S., Bruce, M. L., Hull, J., Sirey, J. A., & Kakuma, T. (1999). Clinical determinants of suicidal ideation and behavior in geriatric depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 1048-1053.
Bae, J. Y., Kim, W. H., & Yoon, K. A. (2005). Depression, suicidal thoughts and the buffering effect of social support among the elderly. Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society, 25, 59-73.
Bae, S. W., & Shin, W. S. (2005). The factor structure of the CES-D scale(the center for epidemiologic studies-depression scale): An application of comfirmatory factor analysis. Faculty of Social Welfare, 18, 165-190.
Barrera Jr, M. (1986). Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models. American Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 413-445.
Cho, M. J., & Kim, K. H. (1993). Diagnostic validity of the CES-D (Korean version) in the assessment of DSM-III-R major depression. Journal Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, 32, 381-399.
Choi, Y. H., & Kim, S. H. (2008). Suicide ideation and related factors according to depression in older adults. Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society, 28, 345-355.
Chong, Y. S., & Jeong, Y. J. (2015). A Review on variables related to suicide of the Korean youth and elderly: An application of vulnerability stress model to suicide. The Korean Journal of Developmental Psychology, 28, 227-254.
Chung, K. H. (1995). The social networks of the elderly. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society, 15, 52-68.
Chung, Y. H., & Cho, Y. H. (2014). Health behaviors, health status and quality of life among the young-old and the old-old in Korea. Korean Public Health Research, 40, 55-64.
Cobb, S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 38, 300-314.
Cohen-Mansfield, J., Shmotkin, D., Blumstein, Z., Shorek, A., Eyal, N., & Hazan, H. (2013). The old, old-old, and the oldest old: Continuation or distinct categories? An examination of the relationship between age and changes in health, function, and wellbeing. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 77, 37-57.
Cohen, S. E. & Syme, S. (1985). Social Support and Health. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Conwell, Y., Duberstein, P. R., & Caine, E. D. (2002). Risk factors for suicide in later life. Biological Psychiatry, 52, 193-204.
Conwell, Y., Duverstein, P. R., Cox, C., Herrmann, J., Forbes, N., & Caine, E. D. (1998). Age differences in behaviors leading to completed suicide. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 122-126.
DeLeo, D., & Ormskerk, S. C. (1991). Suicide in the elderly: General characteristics. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 12, 3-17.
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”: A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189-198.
Gomez, G. E., & Gomez, E. A. (1991). Depression in the elderly. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 31, 28-33.
Gray, D. & Calsyn, R. J. (1989). The relationship of stress and social support to life satisfaction: Age effects. Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 214-219.
Han, J. W., Kim, T. H., Jhoo, J. H., Park, J. H., Kim, J. L., Ryu, S. H. Kim, K. Y. (2010). A normative study of the mini-mental state examination for dementia screening (MMSE-DS) and its short form(SMMSE-DS) in the Korean elderly. Journal of Korean Geriatric Psychiatry, 14, 27-37.
Hayutin, A. M. (2007). How population aging differs across countries:A briefing on global demographics. Stanford Center on Longeivity, Retrieved from http://longevity3.stanford.edu
Jang, Y. E., & Kim, S. Y. (2015). The influence of social network and depression on suicide ideation of the elderly. Korean Journal of Care Management, 14(1), 1-24.
Jensen, M. P., Smith, A. E., Bombardier, C. H., Yorkston, K. M., Miró, J., & Molton, I. R. (2014). Social support, depression, and physical disability: Age and diagnostic group effects. Disability and Health Journal, 7, 164-172.
Katona, C. L., & Shankar, K. K. (2004). Depression in old age. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 14, 283-306.
Kim, H. G. (2012). The effects of depression on quality of life and the moderating effect of marital satisfaction among community-dwelling elderly couples. Journal of Community Welfare, 43, 319-344.
Kim, H. J., & Kwon, J. H. (2012). Relationship between meaning of life and suicide ideation: Mediating effects of perceived social support and avoidance coping style. Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 31, 589-606.
Kim, H. K., & Sung, J. M. (2014). The Longitudinal factors related to the depression of the Korean elderly: Comparison of younger-old and older-old. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 66, 427-449.
Kim, S. Y., Ko, S. G., & Kwon, J. H. (2007). The moderating effect of social support and coping on widowed elderly. Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 26, 573-596.
Kim, Y. J. (2003). A study on analysis of social support effect models. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 21, 123-140.
Ko, S. G., Kang, H. S., & Lee, T. H. (2009). Selective attention for emotional faces in older adults. Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 81-96.
Krause, N. (2005). Exploring age differences in the stress-buffering function of social support. Psychology and Aging, 20, 714.
Lee, E. R., Kang, J. H., & Jung, J. P. (2013). Factors influencing the depression of aged people. Journal of the Korea Contents Association, 13, 290-300.
Lee, H. J. (2013). Longitudinal changes in depression in older adults: Differences across age groups and risk factors. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 61, 291-318.
Lee, I. J. (1999). A study on the differences between the younger old and the older old: Comparison of the effects of stressful life events and social support on their health. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society, 19, 35-50.
Lee, I. S., & Kim, S. W. (2005). A study on factors influencing depression of medicaid recipients: Focus on social support. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 29, 285-308.
Lee, J. C., Park, J. A., Bae, N. K., & Cho, Y. C. (2008). Factors related to depressive symptoms among the elderly in urban and rural areas. Journal of Agricultural Medicine&Community Health, 33, 204-220.
Lee, J. M., Lee, W. J., Kim, H. C., Choi, W., Lee, J., Sung, K., & Youm, Y. (2014). The Korean social life, health and aging project-health examination cohort. Epidemiology and Health, 36, e2014003.
Lee, S. A., & Lee, G. M. (2002) A study on the major factors influencing the depression among the elderly in rural area. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society, 22, 209-226.
Li, L. W., & Liang, J. (2007). Social exchanges and subjective well-being among older Chinese: Does age make a difference?. Psychology and Aging, 22, 386-391.
Lim, E. S., & Lee, K. J. (2003) Effect of psysical ability, depression and social support on quality of life in low income elders living at home. Journal of Korean Gerontologiclal Nursing, 5, 38-49.
Lim, K. C., & Kim, S. H. (2012). Prevalence and correlates of depression on older Koreans: Comparison of young-old and old-old. The Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 21(1), 1-10.
Matt, G. E. & Dean, A. (1993). Social support from friends and psychological distress among elderly persons: Moderator effects of age. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 34, 187-200.
McCrae, C. S., Wilson, N. M., Lichstein, K. L., Durrence, H. H., Taylor, D. J., Riedel, B. W., & Bush, A. J. (2008). Self-reported sleep, demographics, health, and daytime functioning in young old and old old community-dwelling seniors. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 6, 106-126.
Neugarten, B. L. (1974). Age groups in American society and the rise of the young-old. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 415, 187-198.
Newman, B., & Newman, P. (2014). Development through life: A psychosocial approach. Belmont, CA:Cengage Learning.
Newsom, J. T., Rook, K. S., Nishishiba, M., Sorkin, D. H., & Mahan, T. L. (2005). Understanding the relative importance of positive and negative social exchanges: Examining specific domains and appraisals. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60, 304-312.
Park, Y. R., & Park, K. S. (2013). Social support network and welfare of the elderly in Korea: Research trends and future tasks. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 60, 323-352.
Park, Y. R., Park, K. S., & Jung, E. H. (2014). The effects of social support and social negativity on depressive symptoms of the rural elderly. Mental Health and Social Work, 42, 151-177.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385-401.
Roh, K. H. (1998). The influential factors of elderly depression on rural areas. The Journal of Korean Community Nursing, 9, 104-116.
Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Geriatric psychiatry. In B. J. Sadock, V. A. Sadock, & P. Ruiz (Eds.). Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry (pp. 1334-1351). Philadelphia, PA: Wolter Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Schaefer, C., Coyne, J. C., & Lazarus, R. S. (1981). The health-related functions of social support. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 381-406.
Schuster, T. L., Kessler, R. C., Aseltine Jr., & Robert, H. (1990). Supportive interactions, negative interactions, and depressed mood. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 423-438.
Schwarzbach, M., Luppa, M., Forstmeier, S., König, H. H., & Riedel- Heller, S. G. (2014). Social relations and depression in late life—A systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 29, 1-21.
Shin, B. K., & Lee, S. J. (2016). Factors influencing the length of time that it took for elderly to do suicidal ideation, suicidal plan and suicidal attempt after retirement in Korea. Social Welfare Policy, 43, 1-33.
Tyler, K. A., & Hoyt, D. R. (2000). The effects of an acute stressor on depressive symptoms among older adults the moderating effects of social support and age. Research on Aging, 22, 143-164.
Ueno N., Fujita Y., & Nakamura H. (1997). Mental health survey of old people, using self-rating depression scale(SDS) comparison between ones in hospital with ones at home. Japanese Journal of Public Health, 44, 865-973.
Waern, M., Rubenowitz, E., & Wilhelmson, K. (2003). Predictors of suicide in the old elderly. Gerontology, 49, 328-334.
Wang, J., & Zhao, X. (2012). Family functioning and social support for older patients with depression in an urban area of Shanghai, China. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 55, 574-579.
Westdahl, C., Milan, S., Magriples, U., Kershaw, T. S., Rising, S. S., & Ickovics, J. R. (2007). Social support and social conflict as predictors of prenatal depression. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 110, 134.
Windsor, T. D., Gerstorf, D., Pearson, E., Ryan, L. H., & Anstey, K. J. (2014). Positive and negative social exchanges and cognitive aging in young-old adults: Differential associations across family, friend, and spouse domains. Psychology of Aging, 29, 28-43.
Yim, E. S., & Lee, K. J. (2003). Effect of physical ability, depression and social support on quality of life in low income elders living at hone. Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing, 5, 38-49.
Yoon, H. S., & Yeom, S. R. (2016). The mediating effects of family solidarity on depression and suicidal ideation of older adults in Korea. Korean Journal of Social Welfare, 68, 53-71.