Study On Social Support’s Influence On Depressive Symptom Of Residents In Rural Communities

By constructing a "direct-indirect effect" theory model, this paper has interpreted the mechanism of social support variables on depressive symptoms and proof-tested the model using the related survey data collected in Caomiao village (Zhifang town, Luoyang, Henan province). The result of research shows that:social support for rural community residents on depressive symptoms has significant direct and indirect interaction; the indirect effect which social support variables have on depressive symptomsis mainly achieved through socio-demographic characteristics of individuals.The outcome of research indicates:1.objective social support, perceived social support and the degree in using of social support all have significant direct effects on depression symptoms of rural community residents;2.in addition to the direct effects of depressive symptoms, social support variables also transfer indirect effect on their depressive symptoms through the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals;3.the degree of the effect which these3variables of social support have on depressive symptoms of rural residents vary considerably.The outcome also shows that:1. the relationship between individuals’age and their depressive symptoms takes on an "inverted U shape":the inflection point of age in the survey sample is37years old. Before the age of37, the rate for Individuals to get symptoms of depression gradually increases with age. Whereas after the age of37, the rate gets lower as individuals get older;2. the final results of this survey shows that gender of individual has no significant effect on depressive symptoms and that this point is not consistent with the conclusions of previous studies;3. marital status of individuals in the survey sample produces no significant impact on whether depressive symptoms would arise.Overall, this investigation has confirmed some of the conclusions of previous research, though still is inconsistent with others. The reason for this, the author thinks, on the one hand is due to the inherent limitations of research data. As a result of constraints in human and material resources, only129effective samples are included; on the other hand, regional differences among different objects involved in the research possibly brings on this. That is to say, the difference existed in urban and rural social support itself has potentially caused the inconsistency.