Depressive symptoms and social support among Australian men: A 7-year longitudinal study

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders are ranked globally as the single largest contributor to non-fatal ill-health. Social support can be a means of reducing and managing depression. However, depression can also impact on a person’s level of social support. Objective: As men typically have fewer sources of social support than females, this study investigated the bi-directional associations between depressive symptoms and perceived levels of social support among Australian males, aged 18–63. Methods: Three waves of panel data from Ten to Men: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health collected over 7 years (2013–2020) were used. A random intercept cross-lagged panel analysis with 5112 participants was undertaken. Mediating effects and indirect and total effects for lagged and cross-lagged pathways were also examined. Results: Over time, greater social support was found to be associated with lower depression levels, and simultaneously greater levels of depression was found to be associated with lower levels of social support. Standardised cross-lagged effects between waves were mostly similar (β = 0.10). However, mediation analyses identified that only the total effect size of the association for depression at wave 1 predicting social support at wave 3 (β = −0.29) was significant. Mediated effects of social support at wave 1 predicting depression at wave 3 were not significant. Limitations: These include the number of years between each wave, and data were collected during the COVID pandemic. Conclusion: The study provides robust longitudinal evidence supporting the notion that social support and depression are both a cause and consequence of the other. However, the long-term effects of depression reducing social support were longer lasting than the effects of social support reducing depression.

Depressive symptoms and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older people in China and associations with chronic diseases

“…Moreover, the middle-aged and older population in rural areas may have more fragile social support relative to their urban counterparts ( 106 ). A lack of social support may make the impact of depressive symptoms on mortality rates more pronounced, as social support is a crucial factor in alleviating symptoms of depressive symptoms and improving mental health ( 107 ). Therefore, this emphasizes the necessity of prioritizing medical care and support conditions for depressed individuals in rural areas to potentially extend their lifespan.…”