Role of Giving and Receiving Emotional Support on Depression in Older Couples

Purpose: This study investigated the role of giving and receiving emotional support on depression among participants from the Changing Lives of Older Couples study, a multi-wave prospective study that examined social, psychological, and physical functioning of older adults in Detroit, Michigan. Methods: 423 couples were interviewed at baseline. Mediation models assessed whether emotional support received mediated the relationship between emotional support given and depression using the Baron and Kenny criteria. Results: Most husbands and wives were white, U.S. born, married on average for 52 years, and had 2-3 children. The relationship between giving emotional support and depression mainly operated through the support recipient's perception of receiving support in husbands and wives. Emotional support given by wives was not directly associated with husbands' depression (β=-0.15, p=0.07), but indirectly associated through the husbands' perception of receiving the support given by their wives. Wives report of giving support was associated with husbands report of receiving support(β=0.47, p<.0001), and receiving support was associated with husbands being less depressed (β=-0.26, p<.0001). Husbands' report of giving emotional support was directly associated with wives' depression (β=-0.13, p=0.05) and through the wives' perception of receiving support. Husbands' report of giving support was associated with wives receiving support (β=0.56, p<.0001), and receiving support was associated with wives' depression (β=-0.30, p<.0001). Conclusion: Perception of receiving support is more than or as important as how much support is given. Further research can investigate ways to enhance perception of receiving emotional support among older individuals to prevent and/or reduce depression.