| Description |
Mental impairment, with depressive disorders named specifically, has been found by numerous studies to be the most prevalent illness occurring among institutionalized elderly populations. Such findings are a vital concern to all health care professions and particularly to those providing mental health services. There are controversial opinions among mental health specialists as to whether depression of the hospitalized Individual is a result of being institutionalized or an incomplete effectuation of the various tasks of aging. Although the investigator did not study this controversial question directly, other issues relating to life satisfaction and depression were explored. These issues were considered indirect measures of the individual's ability to cope with major adjustments required in his pattern of living, including adjustment to institutionalization. Therefore, the determination of depression levels, life satisfaction levels, and the predominant psychosocial characteristics that prevail among the aged patients, 60 years or older, institutionalized in a chronic disease hospital, were investigated. The purpose was to determine degrees of their psychological well-being and to look for possible relationships between the psychological variables depression, life satisfactions, and the demographic data. Forty-two patients from a chronic disease hospital were interviewed and administered the Zung (1965) Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS)^ the Neugarten (196l) Life Satisfaction Indices (LSI), and the 13-question Personal Data Information Sheet (PDIS), Respondents who were interviewed met the criteria of: (1) the ability to understand English, (2) being able to respond to questions, and (3) being at least 60 years or older, The questions of the SDS and the LSI concerned how the person felt at the present time and how he had felt in the past. The PDIS inquired about variables such as marital status, living family members, length of stay in the hospital, and what the patient likes to do in the hospital, In the sample of 42 respondents, 29 patients, or 69%, were found to have depressive symptoms high enough to indicate a possible need for psychiatric treatment, Seventy-four percent of the sample had low life satisfaction scores. While these figures were lower than the norms established by the originators of the LSI, Neugarten, Havighurst, and Tobin (196I), the differences were not statistically significant. A correlational analysis yielded a statistically significant negative relationship between the depression levels and the life satisfaction levels. The inverse relationship of high depression scores and low life satisfaction scores was suggestive that the patients moderately and severely depressed, and having low life satisfactions had not achieved the ego-reorganization necessary for successful adaptations. Some type of psychiatric treatment would probably be beneficial. Findings indicated that those patients with high depression levels do not participate in the social activities that take place in the institution. Low ego energy, low self-esteem, and preoccupation with self make coping with social activities difficult for the depressed individual. Patients with greater life satisfactions, with interests outside themselves, were active socially and presented the ability to be concerned with others. Those individuals who had strong support systems of relatives and friends who visited often or took the patient out for excursions frequently also had maintained social relationships within the environment of the institution. A few interesting differences occurred between the males and females in the sample. Concerning the question about the circumstances surrounding retirement, the findings reported that 67% of the women had never been gainfully employed outside the home. The mean age for the women was 79 years. All of the men had been employed and 6l\.fo had retired for medical reasons. The mean age was 74 for the men. The mean age of the total sample was 77 years. Generally, the men in the sample appeared to maintain happy and optimistic attitudes, display a zest for living, and have a positive self-concept. Six of the 14 subjects had scores below Zung's level of depressive symptoms. Fifty-seven percent of the men were considered depressed whereas 75% of the women had SDS scores above 50. |
