Social support and psychosocial dysfunction in depression

Abstract

Influence of social support on psychosocial dysfunction was studied in fifty newly diagnosed patients with major depression, using Social Support Scale (SSS) and Dysfunctional Analysis Questionnaire (DAQ) to measure social support and psychosocial dysfunction respectively. Total score on SSS did not affect the dysfunction. A positive relationship was observed between items of SSS relating to care, concern and expectations from others and negative relationship observed between SSS items referring to socialization and dysfunction in social and familial areas. The relationship of social support and psychosocial dysfunction appears quite complex with certain elements of social support having a healthy and others having an unhealthy relationship. Since measurement of social support itself is accompanied by a number of methodological problems such as distorted perceptions of psychiatric patients about social support, this makes the relationship more complex.

Keywords: depression; outpatients; psychosocial dysfunction; social support.