The Relationship between Social Support and Depression in Community Elderly

• Main Author: 曹維媛
• Other Authors: HU SIOU YUE
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/46108027296866957510

碩士 === 美和科技大學 === 健康照護研究所 === 100 === Accompanied with the extension of human life and the rapid boost of elderly who have gradually lost their role, the Geriatric Depression not only results in a decline of their physical, psychological, and social function, thus seriously impacting on the health of elderly and increasing the burden on caregivers, but also increases the suicide and the risk of death. Nowadays, above cases seem to become crucial global health issues. To investigate the community geriatric depression and its influencing factors, this study used questionnaire survey, the Social Support Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale, as research tools and interviewed with 204 "health check" outpatients of community elderly, which selected from the regional teaching hospital of southern Taiwan through convenience sampling. Besides, the collected data was analyzed and validated by using SPSS 17.0 statistic software package. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics, T-test, single factor ANOVA post hoc test of Scheffe method, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis to verify the relationship between each factor. Main results of this study: 1. The number of respondents whose age are greater than 70 is 121 (59.3%); female respondents are 136 (66.7%), more than males in gender component; 111 (54.4%) respondents lived with their spouses and children; 101 (49.5%) respondents with incomes; 129 (63.2%)respondents with chronic illnesses; the majority of education level were junior high or below: 136 (66.7%); 108 (52.9%) respondents suffered from single chronic disease; the majority of health status respondents perceived were ordinary: 92 (45.1%); respondents with chronic diseases were mainly suffered from cardiovascular or metabolic disease. 2. The main results of analysis between community geriatric social support and depression are: (A) "marriage status", "education level", "household habitation", "leisure activities", and "elderly who perceived himself are health" exist a significant difference in the "emotional support", "material support", "informational support", and "respect for support". (B) "Ages","marriage status", Religious belief","education level", "Source of income","household habitation","leisure activities", and "elderly who perceived himself are health" exist a significant difference in the depression. 3. The highest negative correlation, which coefficient is -0.506 and reaches significance, is between social support and depression, representing the more social support the lower level of depression. 4. Analyzed the relationship between basic attributes and emotional support, materially support, informational support, respect for support in the Social Support Scale, total score of the Social Support Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale by stepped regression analysis, the result shows that age, health, leisure and respectful support in the Social Support Scale represent overall 36.8% R-square, revealing the more be respected support for the elderly the lower of their depression level. In summary, this study hopes the results and suggestions can be adopted by public health and clinical care staff to take into account the characteristics of diversity, uniqueness, and continuity among several research variables. Moreover, this study also anticipates the findings could help to promote the concept of holistic health, allowing society to better understand the mental health of the elderly and its influencing factors. Finally, we expect research results could benefit while building substantive community support systems to provide each elderly person a better quality of life