Abstract

Depression among Latino older adults in the United States is likely to develop from multiple stress factors: high rates of chronic diseases and disability, language and cultural barriers to social and medical services, immigrant status, acculturation, low education, low socioeconomic status, social isolation, and poor health. Like other Latino groups, Puerto Ricans have a strong cultural expectation relating to filial responsibility for caregiving. This study examines the impact of the relationship between functional status and filial network systems on depressive symptoms among Puerto Rican Older adults. Based on the theoretical foundations of the Cohen and Wills Stress-buffering Model, we analyzed data from the Puerto Rico Elderly Health Conditions Study (PREHCO). This study used data from the PREHCO study, which included information of face-to-face interviews of a sample of 4,293 participants. The findings from the study show that participants who were impaired in activities of daily living (ADL) showed higher cases of depression and a higher severity of depressive symptoms. In addition, larger filial systems were associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. These findings may help further examine the relationship of filial networks and depression in Puerto Rican populations.