당뇨병 환자의 주관적 스트레스와 우울 증상 간의 관계에서 사회적 관계망의 조절효과 = The Moderating Effect of Social Networks on the Association Between Subjective Stress and Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Diabetes

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to examine the moderating effect of social networks on the association between subjective stress and depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes. For this purpose, data from the 2023 Community Health Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency were utilized, analyzing responses from 31,725 individuals diagnosed with diabetes. A complex sample general linear model (CSGLM) was employed to investigate the effect of subjective stress on depressive symptoms and the moderating role of social networks in this association. The findings of this study are as follows. First, subjective stress significantly affected depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes. Second, social networks played a moderating role in the association between subjective stress and depressive symptoms. Specifically, in patients with low social network levels, an increase in subjective stress led to a sharp rise in depressive symptoms. In contrast, among those with high social network levels, the increase in depressive symptoms due to subjective stress was relatively moderate. This suggests that social networks may serve as a protective factor for the mental health of individuals with diabetes. Third, control variables—including gender, education level, employment status, receipt of basic livelihood security, spouse status, perceived health status, and insulin treatment-were also found to significantly influence depressive symptoms in diabetic patients. This study has the advantage of utilizing a nationally representative dataset to analyze the relationship between social networks and mental health in diabetic patients. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening social networks to mitigate depression and promote mental well-being in individuals with diabetes. Based on these results, implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.