The relationship among social support, communication competence, and cognitive depression for nontraditional students

Abstract

Building on the findings of studies among recovering alcoholics, elderly individuals residing in retirement communities, and caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's disease, this study tested the strength of the relationships between and among social support, communication competence, and cognitive depression. Self‐report measures were initially administered to 201 nontraditional students. In the subsequent statistical analysis, only 130 cases were treated due to incomplete information. The results revealed that nontraditional students who viewed themselves as high in communication competence had larger social networks and slightly higher levels of social‐support satisfaction than nontraditional students who viewed themselves as less competent. These findings are interpreted in light of key limitations, theoretical contributions, and pragmatic utility.