Research examining the role of social support in patient adjustment to chronic illness has been inconsistent suggesting that patient individual differences play a moderating role. This study examined the hypothesis that the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms would differ as a function of individual differences in trait Agreeableness. Fifty-nine patients with chronic kidney disease were assessed using the Social Provisions Scale, Beck Depression Inventory and NEO-Five-Factor Inventory and were followed-up a year and a half later. After controlling for baseline depressive symptoms and clinical characteristics, regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between social support and Agreeableness predicting change in depressive symptoms. Greater social support among individuals high in Agreeableness was associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms over time, while support had little effect on depression change for individuals low in Agreeableness. These findings underscore the importance of individual difference variables in understanding adjustment to chronic illness.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., and Garbin, M. G. (1988). Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation. Clin. Psychol. Rev., 8, 77–100.
Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., and Erbaugh, J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.
Broadhead, W. E., Kaplan, B. H., James, S. A., Wagner, E. H., Schoenbach, V. J., Grimson, R., et al. (1983). The epidemiologic evidence for a relationship between social support and health. Am. J. Epidemiol., 117(5), 521–537.
Christensen, A. J., Turner, C. W., Slaughter, J. R., and Holman, J. M., Jr. (1989). Perceived family support as a moderator psychological well-being in end-stage renal disease. J. Behav. Med., 12(3), 249–265.
Cohen, S., and Wills, T.-A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychol. Bull., 98, 414–418.
Cook, W. W., and Medley, D. M. (1954). Proposed hostility and pharisaic-virtue scales for the MMPI. J. Appl. Psychol., 38, 414–418.
Costa, P. T., and McCrae, R. R. (1992). NEO PI-R Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.
Costa, P. T., McCrae, R. R., and Dembroski, T. M. (1989). Agreeableness versus antagonism: Explication of a potential risk factor for CHD. In A. W. Siegman and T. M. Dembroski (Eds.), In search of coronary-prone behavior (pp. 41–63). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbarum.
Craven, J. L., Rodin, G. M., Johnson, L., and Kennedy, S. H. (1987). The diagnosis of major depression in renal dialysis patients. Psychosom. Med., 49(5), 482–492.
Cutrona, C. E., and Russel, D. W. (1987). The provisions of social relationships and adaptation to stress. In W. H. Jones and D. Perleman (Eds.), Advances in Personal Relationships (vol. 1, pp. 37–67). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Fitzpatrick, R., Newman, S., Lamb, R., and Shipley, M. (1988). Social relationships and psychosocial well-being in rheumatoid arthritis. Soc. Sci. Med., 27, 399–403.
Goodenow, C., Reisine, S. T., and Grady, K. E. (1990). Quality of social support and associated social and psychological functioning in women with rheumatoid arthritis. Health Psychol., 9(3), 266–284.
Hill, C. A., and Christensen, A. J. (1989). Affiliative need, different types of social support and physical symptoms. J. Appl. Soc. Psychol., 19, 1351–1370.
Hinrichsen, G. A., Lieberman, J. A., Polack, S., and Steinberg, H. (1989). Depression in hemodialysis patients. Psychosomatics, 30, 284–289.
Kimmel, P. L. (2002). Depression in patients with chronic renal disease: what we know and what we need to know. J. Psychosom. Res., 53(4), 951–956.
Kimmel, P. L., and Peterson, R. A. (2005). Depression in end-stage renal disease patients treated with hemodialysis: tools, correlates, outcomes, and needs. Semin. Dial., 18(2), 91–97.
Lefcourt, H. M., Martin, R. A., and Saleh, W. E. (1984). Locus of control and social support: Interactive moderators of stress. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 47(2), 378–389.
Lopes, A. A., Bragg, J., Young, E., Goodkin, D., Mapes, D., Combe, C., et al. (2002). Depression as a predictor of mortality and hospitalization among hemodialysis patients in the United States and Europe. Kidney Int., 62(1), 199–207.
Marshall, G. N., Wortman, C. B., Vickers, R. R., Kusulas, J. W., and Hervig, L. K. (1994). The Five-Factor Model of personality as a framework for personality-health research. J. Pers., 67(2), 278–286.
Messeri, P., Silverstin, M., and Litwak, E. (1993). Choosing optimal support groups: A review and reformulation. J. Health Soc. Behav., 34, 122–137.
National Kidney Foundation. (2002). K/DOQI, clinical practice guidelines for chronic kidney disease: evaluation, classification, and stratification. Am. J. Kidney Dis., 39(2 suppl 1), S1–266.
Neuling, S. J., and Winefield, H. R. (1988). Social support and recovery after surgery for breast cancer: frequency and correlates of supportive behaviours by family, friends and surgeon. Soc. Sci. Med., 27(4), 385–392.
Patel, S. S., Peterson, R. A., and Kimmel, P. L. (2005). The impact of social support on end-stage renal disease. Semin. Dial., 18(2), 98–102.
Penninx, B.-W. J. H., van-Tilburg, T., Boeke, A. J.-P., Deeg, D.-J. H., Kriegsman, D.-M. W., and van-Eijk, J.-T. M. (1998). Effects of social support and personal coping resources on depressive symptoms: Different for various chronic diseases? Health Psychol., 17(6), 551–558.
Pilisuk, M. (1982). Delivery of social support: the social inoculation. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry, 52(1), 20–31.
Pope, M. K., Smith, T. W., and Rhodewalt, F. (1990). Cognitive, behavioral, and affective correlates fo the Cook and Medley Hostility Scale. J. Pers. Assess., 54, 501–504.
Sandler, I. N., and Lakey, D. (1982). Locus of control as a stress moderator: The role of perceptions and social support. Am. J. Community Psychol., 10, 65–80.
Seeman, T. E. (2000). Health promoting effects of friends and family on health outcomes in older adults. Am. J. Health Promot., 14(6), 362–370.
Shidler, N. R., Peterson, R. A., and Kimmel, P. L. (1998). Quality of life and psychosocial relationships in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Am. J. Kidney Dis., 32(4), 557–566.
Siegal, B. R., Calsyn, R. J., and Cuddihee, R. M. (1986). The relationship of social support to psychological adjectment in end-stage renal disease patients. J. Chronic Dis., 40, 337–344.
Smith, T. W. (1992). Hostility and health: current status of a psychosomatic hypothesis. Health Psychol., 11(3), 139–150.
Smith, T. W., and Frohm, K. D. (1985). What's so unhealthy about hostility? Construct validity and psychosocial correlates of the Cook and Medley Ho scale. Health Psychol., 4(6), 503–520.
Smith, T. W., and Williams, P. G. (1992). Personality and health: Advantages and limitations of the Five-Factor Model. Journal of Pers., 4, 503–520.
Wallston, B. S., Alagna, S. W., DeVellis, B. M., and DeVellis, R. F. (1983). Social support and physical health. Health Psychol., 2, 367–391.
White, N.-E., Richter, J.-M., and Fry, C. (1992). Coping, social support, and adaptation to chronic illness. West. J. Nurs. Res., 14(2), 211–224.
Wiebe, J. S., and Christensen, A. J. (1996). Patient adherence in chronic illness: Personality and coping in context. Journal of Pers., 64(4), 815–835.
Wortman, C. B., and Conway, T. L. (1985). The role of social support in adaptation and recovery from physical illness. In S. Cohen and L. Syme (Eds.), Social support and health (pp. 281–302). New York: Academic Press, Inc.
Wuerth, D., Finkelstein, S. H., and Finkelstein, F. O. (2005). The identification and treatment of depression in patients maintained on dialysis. Semin. Dial., 18(2), 142–146.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported in part by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant DK49129 awarded to Alan Christensen.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoth, K.F., Christensen, A.J., Ehlers, S.L. et al. A Longitudinal Examination of Social Support, Agreeableness and Depressive Symptoms in Chronic Kidney Disease. J Behav Med 30, 69–76 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-006-9083-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-006-9083-2