Chronic conditions and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: Roles of perceived social support and area of residence

Many studies have shown that having noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) is strongly associated with depressive symptoms in elderly people; however, the mechanisms of this association are not fully understood. This study aims to investigate whether perceived social support (PSS) mediates the effect of NCDs on depressive symptoms and whether these relationships differ depending on where middle-aged and elderly people live. The study population was from the psychology and behavior investigation of Chinese residents (PBICR). A total of 8732 people aged 45 and older were included in the hypothetical modulated model. Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to evaluate PSS and depressive symptoms. NCDs were positively related to depressive symptoms (β = 0.81, p