بررسي ميزان افسردگي در سالمندان مراكز توانبخشي و نگهداري شايستگان و جهانديدگان شهركرد، 1387

The prevalence of depression among the elderly population of Shaystegan and Jahandidegan nursing homes in Shahrekord

Background and aim: The aging of the society and the senility highlights the issues related to this period of life. Depression is a common problem in elderly period. This study aimed to investigate the level of depression among the elderly population. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, all the residents of Shaystegan and Jahandidegan nursing homes, which were under the supervision of the State Welfare Organization in Shahrekord, were studied. The data was collected using the standard Beck questionnaire for depression and analyzed using Pearson correlation, Mann-Whitney and Cruscal-valis tests. Results: The average age of the study population was 68.7±16.1 year and the average depression scale was 23.11±9.2. Based on the results, 64.9% were slightly depressed, 15.8% were moderately depressed, 15.8% showed no sign of depression and only 3.5% were severely depressed. According to these findings, significant relationship was seen between age, marital status and the level of depression (P<0.05). Conclusion: Slight depression and depression with no medical symptoms are common problems among the elderly peoples. Therefore, primary preventative measures are necessary to take in consideration.