Change in social network based functional support and symptoms of depression

Research documents an association between lack of social network based functional support and poor mental health. There is evidence that, among Latinos, social support buffers against depression and that the quantity and quality of social relationships impact mental health in the short and long term. The mechanisms underlying how the source of support (family, friends, acquaintances, others) and the amount of functional support affect health outcomes are not well understood. Support coming from blood relatives, for example, may be more effective in protecting against depression symptoms than a similar amount of support from other sources. Data come from 1,164 participants (aged 45-75 at baseline) in waves one (T1) and 2 (T2) of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. We use Principal Component Analysis to disaggregate the social support coming from blood relatives, friends, non-blood relatives and community members in T1 and T2. First, we describe change in depression symptoms and in social support from T1 to T2. Second, using a Generalized Linear Model, we examine the cross-sectional effect of source of social support on depression at T1 and T2. Third, we assess the longitudinal effect of change in source and amount of social support on change in depression symptoms over the 2-year time period. Cross-sectional and longitudinal results suggest that the support coming from blood relatives and close friends have a strong and significant protective effect against depression when compared to support coming from other types of relationships. Findings are important to explain the declining mental health of this population.