The Moderating and Covarying Effects of Social Support and Pain Intensity On Depressive Symptomology Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Older Adults

Abstract

Aim: To examine the interplay of social support, pain intensity and ethnicity as moderators and covariates of relationship on depressive symptomatology. Methods: Racially and ethnically diverse elders responded to measures of depressive symptomatology and social support. Results: Hispanics reported significantly higher prevalence of moderate pain intensity and depressive symptomology, and lower prevalence of high social support compared with other ethnic groups. Although social support showed reduced depressive symptomatology among those with high pain intensity, it did not play a significant role in decreasing depressive symptomatology among those with low/moderate pain intensity. Conclusion: Social support in decreasing depressive symptomatology is more effective in older adults with high pain intensity than those with moderate or low levels of pain intensity.

KEYWORDS:

• chronic pain
• depressive symptomatology
• ethnicity
• older adults
• social support

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Dr Joseph Ouslander of the College of Medicine and Dr Ruth Tappen of the College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, for helping the corresponding author to gain access to the HARI registry and for providing support and guidance in completing the project.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study is a part of Healthy Aging Research Initiative (HARI) project that was funded by Florida Atlantic University. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This study is a part of Healthy Aging Research Initiative (HARI) project that was funded by Florida Atlantic University. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.