The importance of social support for men and women suffering from major depression. A comparative and explorative study.

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to describe the phenomena of social support and social network as well as stressful life events and their relation to adult persons suffering from major depression. Another purpose was to describe how men and women, who had been treated for major depression, used social support in their strive to regain health. Both inductive and deductive approaches have been employed as well as quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of 65 participants with major depression (DSM-IV) and 19 healthy volunteers. Open-ended interviews were used for the data collection as well as instruments such as the Support-Q and The Life Events Checklist. Data were collected between 1995 - 2000. Analysis of the data was mainly performed by descriptive and non-parametrical statistical methods and by a qualitative phenomenographic method. The results showed that men and women with major depression perceived that they had insufficient social support, an insufficient number of people in their network, and lacked the most valued component, emotional support. When compared to healthy volunteers, they had fewer relatives and friends and less frequent telephone contact with them. The women required more social support than the men. Men and women with major depression were exposed to more stressful life events, especially increased arguments with their partner and family members, than healthy volunteers. Women with major depression needed to undergo a process in order to gain both a cognitive and an emotional understanding of how to cope with their lives in order to recover from depression. This knowledge was subsequently translated into health-related actions. The process of development or growth guided the change for the women, and both family and friends were important for their reintegration into the social environment. Men with major depression who had regained their health prioritised changed lifestyle goals, and they needed lay support in order to feel that others had faith in them and their ability to solve problems. While the men received help and support from health care to restore their health, their own path to health was to regain their place in the public domain. In these efforts, it is primarily lay support that is important. The experiences of getting through an episode of major depression and the subsequent strive to regain health served as a trigger for the men and women to change their lifestyles. The transition itself and the resulting ramifications for themselves, their families and other persons in their social network constituted an affirmation of a change in their health status. The transition was a long-term process, which involved adapting themselves to new roles and situations, eventually resulting in a new sense of meaning and a sense of mastery.