Lack of social support associated with major depressive disorder in middle-aged and older adults from the United States: A propensity score-matched cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objective

Current widely used depression assessment criteria may not accurately reflect the true prevalence of depression, and previous studies have insufficiently addressed the multidimensional nature of social support. Research on the relationship between depression and specific dimensions of social support remains limited, which impedes the targeted allocation of scarce social resources to mitigate the disease burden. This study aimed to explore the association between multi-dimensional social support and major depressive disorder (MDD) in the US population, using depression assessment criteria consistent with current epidemiological data.

Method

We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). After propensity score matc

SUBMITTER: Li P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12810787 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature