The influence of social support on depressive symptoms in cancer patients: age and gender differences.

Purpose: The relationship between social support and depressive symptomatology in cancer patients is well established, yet the extent to which patient variables impact this relationship is not well known. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationship of social support to the severity of depressive symptoms varies by patient age and gender.
Description of the Study: A sample of 342 cancer outpatients were administered self-report measures of depressive symptoms, perceived adequacy of social support, satisfaction with family functioning, and the size of their social support network.
Results: There were no significant differences by gender or age in the relationship of the social support variables to depressive symptoms. Although not statistically significant, interesting differences did emerge: a larger social support network was associated with less severe depression for female patients and for younger patients but not for male patients or older patients. For the entire sample, greater perceived adequacy of support and more satisfaction with family functioning were related to less severe depression.
Conclusions: The findings of the study suggest that interventions to alleviate depressive symptoms in cancer patients may be designed with consideration of demographic characteristics such as age and gender to maximize the beneficial impact on quality of life.