Exploring the roles of social support & community belonging in relation to the severity and duration of depression in Canadian seniors

Hoskins, Melissa (2017) Exploring the roles of social support & community belonging in relation to the severity and duration of depression in Canadian seniors. Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of four types of social support and sense of community belonging on depression severity and duration in a sample of Canadian male and female seniors (age 65 – 80+ years of age). The present work builds on research conducted by Fowler et al. (2013) where the same variables were assessed in relation to Canadian men and women (ages 20-64). Data associated with 627 respondents were extracted from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS; Statistics Canada, 2002) and analyzed. Overall, tangible support was the only predictor of depression severity in both male and female seniors. Positive social support, tangible support, affection, age and sense of belonging predicted depression in both male and female senior depression duration. Separate gender analyses were also conducted and compared to the findings in the Fowler et al. (2013) study. Differences in depression severity and duration emerged for male and female seniors. These findings were conceptualized as representing facets of seniors’ social worlds.

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