Social Support or Social Networks? The Association Between Social Resources and Depression Among Central American Immigrants in the United States

Social connections and social support have shown strong associations with mental health within immigrant populations. This study examines the nuances in the associations between social network measures and perceived interpersonal support on depression among immigrants from Central America residing in the United States. Data for this project came from the 2012–2013 wave of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III). In determining the association between lifetime depression and perceived interpersonal support, three social network measures (diversity, domain participation, and count) were assessed through a series of logistic regressions that controlled for demographic characteristics. Linear regressions were used to assess the relationship between perceived interpersonal support and network characteristics. Immigrants who had higher levels of perceived support had lower odds of meeting the criteria for depression. Social network measures were not significant in their association with depression; however, supplemental analyses indicated a strong relationship between network characteristics and perceived interpersonal support. Future research is needed to further elucidate the mechanisms of the social resources that contribute to immigrant health across peoples’ lifespans.