THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON HOPKINS SYMPTOM CHECKLIST-ASSESSED DEPRESSION AND DISTRESS IN A COHORT OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-POSITIVE AND VIRUS-NEGATIVE GAY MEN - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY AT 6 TIME POINTS

Questionnaire data were collected from a panel of 342 gay men at risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome enrolled in the Coping and Cha nge Study between 1985 and 1987, and 1988 and 1990. Data were obtained across a period of 5 years in six serial wave pairs to determine the relationship of social support to Hopkins Symptom Checklist-assessed s ubsequent depression and general distress and to investigate whether t he trends observed were stable or transient over time. Both objective and subjective components of social support demonstrated dramatic with in-person stability over time (r = .47 to .86). A measure of subjectiv e social support was modestly but significantly associated with lower depression at four of the six time periods and a lower level of genera l distress at one time period. Before appropriately controlling for cu rrent depression, subjective social support appeared to account for up to a third of the variance in future depression; after such controls were included in the regression equation, it became apparent that the independent contribution of support only ranged from 4% to 6% across t he study period. This emphasizes the importance of including current m ental health in longitudinal analyses. The respondents' social partici pation and involvement with others did not affect either depression or general distress at any time during the study period. These results i ndicate that while social participation may have no effect, subjective social support appears to influence often mental health in this cohor t. Furthermore, human immunodeficiency virus seropositive men may at t imes benefit from such support.