Factors influencing depression among elderly residents in nursing homes

• Main Authors: Li-Chun Chu, 朱莉群
• Other Authors: Tsai, Y. F
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/03469512275271496658

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 護理學研究所 === 94 === Along with the Taiwan area population aging, the demands of long-term care are also increasing. In all long-term care institutions, nursing home residents require the heaviest nursing care and the life attendance. Even thought nursing home elders have many physical and psychological problems, their depressive problems are often to be neglected. The purposes of this study were to explore the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among elderly residents of nursing homes in Taiwan. A cross-sectional correlation design as used. Residents of 12 nursing homes in northern Taiwan were recruited. A total of 111 elders participated. Descriptive statistics analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze data. The findings discovered that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 44.1 %. Elders who had lower education level, worse functional status, had pain, had severe current pain, had pain to interfere with their mood and sleep, less demand of social support network and participated rate, received lower social support behaviors, less satisfied with all dimensions of social support were easier to have depressive symptoms. Significant predictors of depressive symptoms were the education level, the functional status, and the pain situation. The findings may provide nursing home staffs to understand nursing home elders’ depressive symptoms and identify the high risk group of depressive symptom. We suggest strengthening nursing home elders’ depressive problems assessment and management in order to reduce the depressive symptoms creating other complications.