Predicting the Influence of Social Resources on African American Wife and Daughter Caregivers' Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

This study—on 100 African American wife and 258 daughter primary caregivers — uses a contextual approach in its examination of the relationship between social resources and caregiver depressive symptoms. At the bivariate level, significant differences in certain key characteristics of primary caregivers and care receivers underscore the generational differences between the caregiver samples. Using separate ordinary least squares regression models, the authors found that satisfaction with family functioning was a significant predictor for lower depressive symptoms for both wives' and daughters' depressive symptoms. However, social participation and availability of secondary help were negatively associated with depressive symptoms for daughters. Receipt of instrumental support was predictive of higher levels of depressive symptoms among daughters. The findings indicate the importance of accounting for the contextual differences in our understanding of depressive symptoms, specifically the differences in the relationship between social resources and depressive symptoms for wives and daughters. Practice and theoretical implications are also discussed.