Functional Impairment and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults of Rural Nepal: The Moderating Role of Three Sources of Social Support

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This study aimed to determine whether social support from family, friends, and significant others moderated the relationship between functional impairment and depressive symptoms among Nepali older adults living in rural areas.

Methods

The participants were 147 women (M_age = 66.71, SD_age = 5.97) and 153 men (M_age = 67.41, SD_age = 6.47) aged 60 years and older who lived in the rural mid-hills of Nepal. They completed the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form.

Results

Only 6.3% participants experienced some degree of functional impairment. Almost half (44.33%) of participants had depressive symptoms. Social support from family and friends, but not significant others, moderated the relationship between functional impairment and depressive symptoms. Social support from family was protective for older adults with moderate to high levels of functional impairment. Social support from friends was protective at no to low levels of functional impairment.

Conclusions

Interventions aimed at increasing social support from family among Nepali older adults living in rural hilly areas may reduce depressive symptoms, particularly among those with high levels of functional impairment.

Clinical Implications

Family support is important to alleviate depressive symptoms among functionally impaired older adults.

KEYWORDS:

• older adults
• social support
• functional impairment
• Depression
• Nepal

Clinical implications

• Social support from family is protective against depressive symptoms for rural older adults with moderate to high levels of functional impairment.

• Social support from friends is protective against depressive symptoms for rural older adults with no or low levels of functional impairment.

• Education within communities about the important role of social support in the psychological wellbeing of older people should be a priority.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.