ETHNIC IDENTITY MODERATES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND DEPRESSION OLDER CHINESE CANADIANS

摘要

It is well-documented that perceived social support decreases the risks of depression in older adults. Past studies have also noted a negative relationship between ethnic identity and depression, especially among minority seniors. As the Canadian senior population becomes increasingly diverse, it is important to understand the interplay between ethnic identity, perceived social support, and depression. The current study examined the moderating role of the enculturation in the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms among 219 community-dwelling older Chinese Canadian immigrants (mean age = 73.41 years; 62% female). Individuals completed a set of questionnaires, including measures of perceived social support, social network size, depressive symptoms, and subjective enculturation and acculturation levels. Negative correlations were found between perceived social support and depression (r = -.29, p < .001), and enculturation and depression (r = -.15, p = .04). Conversely, neither social network size nor acculturation was correlated with depression (ps > .05). A bootstrapping moderation analysis revealed enculturation significantly moderated the relationship between perceived social support and depressive symptoms (β = -.49, p < .001). Specifically, Chinese older adults with medium and high levels of enculturation displayed a significantly enhanced protective effect of perceived social support on depressive symptoms. From these findings, it is postulated that older Chinese immigrants who maintain their cultural values may be more socially active by engaging in cultural activities that are congruent with their ethnic identity, which in turn may influence their sense of social support and reduce the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms.