The Relationship Between Social Supports With Depression Among Elderly in the Eastern Cities of Guilan

Elderly are vulnerable individuals in society, and are mostly exposed to mental disorders especially depression. Using non-medical factors to manage the depression, like perceived social support, can reduce the incidence of adverse reactions in such a vulnerable population. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between social support with depression among elderly in the eastern cities of Guilan.

This study was a cross-sectional, descriptive -correlational study conducted by the elderly living in the eastern cities of Guilan, in which 168 people were selected from two-stage, cluster random and available sampling.   Data was collected with using two standard tools include, Philips social support questionnaires (23 Items), and Geriatric depression scale (15 Items) Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 19, software, T-test, ANOVA and Pearson tests.

The mean of social support in elderly living in the eastern of Guilan was 73/25±9/18 (total score range of 23-92) and the mean of depression for them was 3/20±3/58 (total score range of 0-15). The analysis of the data indicated that there was a negative significant correlation between social support and depression (p<0/01, r=-0/47).

This study confirmed the role of social support in the development of depression in the elderly, so it is important to provide the conditions for promoting social support to reduce depression and thus improve the quality of life of the elderly.