Abstract
ABSTRACT The fact that there is a low association between life events and depression has recently led researchers to examine the role of social support in this relationship. However, the examination of the role of social support has shown inconsistent findings. These inconsistent findings may be due to the great diversity in definitions of social support, measurement techniques used, statistical procedures employed and different sample characteristics of the studies. In addition to this diversity, although the role of life events and social support have been investigated in normal and clinical populations, they have not been examined in patients with chronic illness. This study examined the effects of life events and social support on depression in 200 dialysis patients. The instruments used were Beck Depression Inventory, a modified version of Sarason's Life Experiences Survey and a social support inventory ( SSI ) constructed by the present author and the thesis supervisor. The social support inventory consists of 5 quantitative and 3 qualitative social support measures. The quantitative measures examine existing numbers in social network and frequency of actual and telephone contact. Thequalitative measures are namely perceived amount and availability of social support and satisfaction with perceived social support. Each of these three qualitative measures consists of five functional dimensions of perceived social support including emotional, informational, appraisal, instrumental support and social companionship. The quantitative and qualitative measures were found to be internally consistent and stable over time. Qualitative measures were found to be valid whereas quantitative measures were not found to be valid. Results showed that clinically depressed dialysis patients reported less positive life events and appraised life events more negatively than the other two groups of dialysis patients. The total number of life events and the number of negative life events were not found to differentiate the sample groups. With regard to social support variables, results showed that clinically depressed dialysis patients reported less frequent actual contact and telephone contact with others and perceived less amount and availability of social support and less satisfaction with perceived social support, along the functional dimensions than the other two groups of patients. The size of social network and the number of people that the subject was in actual and telephonecontact with were not found to discriminate the three groups of dialysis patients. This study provides support for a main effect model of social support and not for a buffering model. Results are discussed further in terms of different social support measures and functions, sex differences and effects of demographic variables. Directions for future research and treatment recommendations are given.