The Role of Sense of Belonging and Social Support on Stress and Depression in Individuals With Depression

This longitudinal study examined the role of sense of belonging, social support, and spousal support on the relationship between perceived stress and symptoms of depression in 90 men and women who had a history of depression (n = 51) and who did not have (n = 39) a history of depression. Data were obtained at 3, 6, and 9 months after initial entry into the study. A series of regression analysis procedures revealed a mediation effect, but not a moderation effect, of sense of belonging and perceived social support on the relationship between perceived stress and depression in only the depressed group. Spousal support had neither a direct effect nor an interaction effect on the perceived stress–depression relationship in the depressed group. For the comparison group, perceived stress did not correlate significantly with the symptoms of depression. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that increased perceived stress and lower sense of belonging had significant direct effects on the severity of depression and the effects were consistent over the period of 9 months. Social support and spousal support had only indirect effects that fluctuated over time. The results emphasize that interventions geared toward stress reappraisal and promotion of sense of belonging should yield direct and stable effects of decreasing depression.