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BMC Primary Care
Published in: BMC Primary Care 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research article

Depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life in elderly, multimorbid patients

Authors: Felix S Wicke, Corina Güthlin, Karola Mergenthal, Jochen Gensichen, Christin Löffler, Horst Bickel, Wolfgang Maier, Steffi G Riedel-Heller, Siegfried Weyerer, Birgitt Wiese, Hans-Helmut König, Gerhard Schön, Heike Hansen, Hendrik van den Bussche, Martin Scherer, Anne Dahlhaus

Published in: BMC Primary Care | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Background

It is not well established how psychosocial factors like social support and depression affect health-related quality of life in multimorbid and elderly patients. We investigated whether depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life.

Methods

Cross-sectional data of 3,189 multimorbid patients from the baseline assessment of the German MultiCare cohort study were used. Mediation was tested using the approach described by Baron and Kenny based on multiple linear regression, and controlling for socioeconomic variables and burden of multimorbidity.

Results

Mediation analyses confirmed that depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life (Sobel’s p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed that the influence of depressive mood (β = −0.341, p < 0.01) on health-related quality of life is greater than the influence of multimorbidity (β = −0.234, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Social support influences health-related quality of life, but this association is strongly mediated by depressive mood. Depression should be taken into consideration in research on multimorbidity, and clinicians should be aware of its importance when caring for multimorbid patients.

Trial registration

ISRCTN89818205
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life in elderly, multimorbid patients
Authors
Felix S Wicke
Corina Güthlin
Karola Mergenthal
Jochen Gensichen
Christin Löffler
Horst Bickel
Wolfgang Maier
Steffi G Riedel-Heller
Siegfried Weyerer
Birgitt Wiese
Hans-Helmut König
Gerhard Schön
Heike Hansen
Hendrik van den Bussche
Martin Scherer
Anne Dahlhaus
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Primary Care / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 2731-4553
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-15-62

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