Social Support and Depression among Older Adults Living Alone: The Importance of Friends Within and Outside of a Retirement Community

Social Work

Volumn 42, Issue 4, 1997, Pages 348-362

  Potts, Marilyn K ^a  

^a CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Depression; Older adults; Retirement community living; Social support

Indexed keywords

AGED; ARTICLE; DEPRESSION; FAMILY SIZE; FEMALE; HUMAN; HUMAN RELATION; MALE; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUESTIONNAIRE; RETIREMENT; SOCIAL SUPPORT;

AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; DEPRESSIVE DISORDER; FEMALE; HUMANS; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; MALE; QUESTIONNAIRES; RETIREMENT; SINGLE PERSON; SOCIAL SUPPORT;

EID: 0031178454     PISSN: 00378046     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/sw/42.4.348     Document Type: Article

References (66)

1. Adams, R. G. (1985-86). Emotional closeness and physical distance between friends: Implications for elderly women living in age-segregated and age-integrated settings. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 22, 55-76.
2. Antonucci, T. C., & Akiyama, H. (1987). An examination of sex differences in social support among older men and women. Sex Roles, 17, 737-749.
3. Auslander, G. K., & Litwin, H. (1991). Social networks, social support, and self-ratings of health among the elderly. Journal of Aging and Health, 3, 493-510.
4. Bazargan, M., & Hamm-Baugh, V. P. (1995). The relationship between chronic illness and depression in a community of urban black elderly persons. Journal of Gerontology, 50, S119-S127.
5. Berkman, L. F. (1983). The assessment of social networks and social support in the elderly. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 31, 743-749.
6. Berkman, L. F., & Syme, S. L. (1979). Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: A nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents. American Journal of Epidemiology, 116, 123-140.
7. Brown, A. S. (1990). The aged in changing living situations. In A. S. Brown (Ed.), The social processes of aging and old age (pp. 76-88). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
8. Carstensen, L. L. (1991). Socioemotional activity theory: Social activity in life-span context. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 11, 195-217.
9. Carstensen, L. L. (1992). Social and emotional patterns in adulthood: Support for socioemotional selectivity theory. Psychology and Aging, 3, 331-338.
10. Clark, V. A., Aneshensel, C. S., Frerichs, R., & Morgan, T. M. (1981). Analysis of effects of sex and age in response to items on the CES-D scale. Psychiatry Research, 5, 171-181.
11. Connidis, I. A., & Davies, L. (1992). Confidants and companions: Choices in later life. Journal of Gerontology, 47, S115-S122.
12. Cox, H. G. (1988). Living environments in later life. In H. G. Cox (Ed.), Later life: The realities of aging (2nd ed., pp. 202-223). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
13. Cumming, E., & Henry, W. E. (1961). Growing old: The process of disengagement. New York: Basic Books.
14. Davidson, H., Feldman, P. H., & Crawford, S. (1994). Measuring depressive symptoms in the frail elderly. Journal of Gerontology, 49, P159-P164.
15. Dykstra, P. A. (1995). Loneliness among the never and formerly married: The importance of supportive friendships and a desire for independence. Journal of Gerontology, 50, S321-S329.
16. Feld, S., & George, L. K. (1994). Moderating effects of prior social resources on the hospitalizations of elders who become widowed. Journal of Aging and Health, 6, 275-295.
17. Fisher, B. J. (1991). It's not quite like home: Illness, career descent and the stigma of living at a multilevel care retirement facility. New York: Garland.
18. Forster, L. E., & Stoller, E. P. (1992). The impact of social support on mortality: A seven-year follow-up of older men and women. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 11, 173-186.
19. Fredrickson, B. L., & Carstensen, L. L. (1990). Choosing social partners: How old age and anticipated endings make people more selective. Psychology and Aging, 5, 163-171.
20. George, L. K. (1989). Stress, social support, and depression over the life course. In K. S. Markides & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Aging, stress, social support, and health (pp. 241-267). London: John Wiley & Sons.
21. Gordon, P. A. (1988). Developing retirement facilities. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
22. Gutheil, I. A. (1991). Intimacy in nursing home friendships. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 17, 59-73.
23. Havighurst, R., & Albrecht, R. (1953). Older people. New York: Longman, Green.
24. Hays, J. C., Kasl, S., & Jacobs, S. (1994). Past personal history of dysphoria, social support, and psychological distress following conjugal bereavement. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 42, 712-718.
25. Heller, K., Thompson, M. G., Vlachos-Weber, I., Steffen, A. M., & Trueba, P. E. (1991). Support interventions for older adults: Confidante relationships, perceived family support, and meaningful role activity. American Journal of Community Psychology, 19, 139-146.
26. Himmelfarb, S., & Murrell, S. A. (1983). Reliability and validity of five mental health scales in older persons. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 333-339.
27. Hinrichsen, G. A. (1985). The impact of age-concentrated, publicly assisted housing on older people's social and emotional well-being. Journal of Gerontology, 40, 758-760.
28. Hong, L. K., & Duff, R. W. (1994). Widows in retirement communities: The social context of subjective well-being. Gerontologist, 34, 347-353.
29. Hunt, M. E., Feldt, A. G., Marans, R. W., Pastalan, L. A., & Vakalo, K. L. (1984). Retirement communities: An American original. New York: Haworth Press.
30. Husaini, B. A., Castor, R. S., Linn, J. G., Moore, S. T., Warren, H. A., & Whitten-Stovall, R. (1990). Social support and depression among the black and white elderly. Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 12-18.
31. Husaini, B. A., Moore, S. T., & Castor, R. S. (1991). Social and psychological well-being of black elderly living in high-rises for the elderly. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 16, 57-78.
32. Johnson, C. L., & Troll, L. E. (1994). Constraints and facilitators to friendships in late late life. Gerontologist, 34, 79-87.
33. Kessler, R., Foster, C., Webster, P., & House, J. (1992). The relationship between age and depressive symptoms in two national surveys. Psychology and Aging, 7, 119-126.
34. Krause, N., & Borawski-Clark, E. (1994). Clarifying the functions of social support in later life. Research on Aging, 16, 251-279.
35. Krause, N., Liang, J., & Keith, V. (1990). Personality, social support, and psychological distress in later life. Psychology and Aging, 5, 315-326.
36. LaGory, M., & Fitzpatrick, K. (1992). The effects of environmental context on elderly depression. Journal of Aging and Health, 4, 459-479.
37. Lawton, M. P., Moss, M., & Moles, E. (1984). The suprapersonal neighborhood context of older people: Age heterogeneity and well-being. Environment and Behavior, 16, 89-109.
38. Levitt, M. J., Antonucci, T. C., Clark, M. C., Rotton, J., & Finley, G. E. (1985-86). Social support and well-being: Preliminary indicators based on two samples of the elderly. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 21, 61-77.
39. Lubben, J. E. (1988). Assessing social networks among elderly populations. Family and Community Health, 11, 42-52.
40. Markides, K., & Cooper, C. (Eds.). (1989). Aging, stress, social support, and health. London: John Wiley & Sons.
41. Mitchell, J., Mathews, H. F., & Yesavage, J. A. (1993). A multidimensional examination of depression among the elderly. Research on Aging, 15, 198-219.
42. Mullins, L. C., & Tucker, R. D. (1992). Emotional and social isolation among older French Canadian seasonal residents in Florida: A comparison with the English Canadian seasonal residents. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 19, 83-106.
43. O'Connor, B. P. (1995). Family and friend relationships among older and younger adults: Interaction motivation, mood, and quality. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 40, 9-29.
44. Osgood, N. J. (1982). Senior settlers: Social integration in retirement communities. New York: Praeger.
45. Parker, R. G., & Parrott, R. (1995). Patterns of self-disclosure across social support networks: Elderly, middle-aged, and young adults. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 41, 281-297.
46. Pearlman, D. N., & Crown, W. H. (1992). Alternative sources of social support and their impacts on institutional risk. Gerontologist, 32, 527-535.
47. Peters, G. R., & Kaiser, M. A. (1985). The role of friends and neighbors in providing social support. In W. J. Sauer & R. T. Coward (Eds.), Social support networks and the care of the elderly: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 123-158). New York: Springer.
48. Phifer, J. F., & Murrell, S. A. (1986). Etiologic factors in the onset of depressive symptoms in older adults. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 282-291.
49. Radloff, L. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385-401.
50. Rakowski, W., Fleishman, J. A., Mor, V., & Bryant, S. A. (1993). Self-assessments of health and mortality among older persons. Research on Aging, 15, 92-116.
51. Rook, K. S. (1991). Facilitating friendship formation in late life: Puzzles and challenges. American Journal of Community Psychology, 19, 103-110.
52. Russell, D. W., & Cutrona, C. E. (1991). Social support, stress, and depressive symptoms among the elderly: Test of a process model. Psychology and Aging, 6, 190-201.
53. Ryff, C. D., & Essex, M. J. (1992). The interpretation of life experience and well-being: The sample case of relocation. Psychology and Aging, 7, 507-517.
54. Sabin, E. P. (1993). Social relationships and mortality among the elderly. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 12, 44-60.
55. Sauer, W. J., & Coward, R. T. (1985). Social support networks and the care of the elderly: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Springer.
56. Seeman, T. E., & Berkman, L. F. (1988). Structural characteristics of social networks and their relationship with social support in the elderly: Who provides support? Social Science and Medicine, 26, 737-749.
57. Shea, L., Thompson, L., & Blieszner, R. (1988). Resources in older adults' old and new friendships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, 83-96.
58. Sheehan, N. W. (1986). Informal support among the elderly in public senior housing. Gerontologist, 26, 171-175.
59. Simons, R. L. (1983-84). Specificity and substitution in the social networks of the elderly. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 18, 121-139.
60. Stacey-Konnert, C., & Pynoos, J. (1992). Friendship and social networks in a continuing care retirement community. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 11, 298-313.
61. Stahl, S. M., & Potts, M. K. (1985). Social support and chronic disease: A prepositional inventory. In W. A. Peterson & J. Quadagno (Eds.), Social bonds in later life: Aging and interdependence (pp. 305-323). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
62. Steinbach, U. (1992). Social networks, institutionalization, and mortality among elderly people in the United States. Journal of Gerontology, 47, S183-S190.
63. Stephens, M.A.P., & Bernstein, M. (1984). Social support and well-being among residents of planned housing. Gerontologist, 24, 144-148.
64. Stolar, G. E., MacEntee, M. I., & Hill, P. (1993). The elderly: Their perceived supports and reciprocal behaviors. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 19, 15-33.
65. Sullivan, D. A. (1986). Informal support systems in a planned retirement community: Availability, proximity, and willingness to utilize. Research on Aging, 8, 249-267.
66. Thorslund, M., & Norstrom, T. (1993). The relationship between different survey measures of health in an elderly population. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 12, 61-70.