Abstract
Studies of psychoneuroimmunology have revealed some relationships between depression and physical status. Managing depressive symptoms can be beneficial for a person’s general well-being. [Methods] In this presentation, results obtained from an epidemiological study on depressive symptoms and social supports (as a buffer against depression) among community-dwelling older adults are presented. Approximately 26,000 male and female residents over 65 years old were cross-sectionally analyzed regarding depressive symptoms (evaluated by the Geriatric Depression Scale) and social supports (four dimensions) utilizing data of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. [Results] The analysis revealed that depressive symptoms of married, widowed less than one year, and widowed over one year groups showed the tendencies to have symptoms as: fewer symptoms for men than women, no differences, and more for men than women, respectively, after adjusting for age and diseases. However, the differences between men and women among the married group disappeared after controlling for socio-economic status (educational histories and income). On the other hand, social supports from partners showed the tendency to have supports was greater for men than women, while the tendency to have other kinds of social supports was generally less for men than women. In addition, providing supports appeared to be more beneficial than receiving them. [Conclusion] Exact evaluation of social supports, which have buffering effects on depression, can be an important clue to establish strategies for social and individual intervention.
