MODERATING THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

The authors examined whether social support (measured as having a part ner or spouse, satisfaction with partner or spouse relationships at Ti me 1 and at Time 2, and frequency of visits with close friends and rel atives) and self-esteem buffered the impact of two types of stressful life events on depressive symptomatology in a prospective investigatio n of 728 full-time working men and women 58 to 64 years of age at recr uitment in a metropolitan North Carolina area. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the impact of stressful events involving socia l networks was buffered by satisfying relationships at Time 1 and self -esteem, Satisfying relations al Time 1 also lessened the impact of wo rk stressors on depressive symptoms.