Original Research Article
Year: 2020 | Month: August | Volume: 10 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 273-280
Assessment of Mental Health Problems and Social Supports Among Elderly People, In a Selected Rural Community, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
Swapna Ghosh1, Madhusri Manna2, Kasturi Mandal3
1Deputy Nursing Superintendent, Howrah General Hospital, Kolkatta.
2Professor, College of Nursing, Asia Heart Foundation, Kolkatta.
3Vice Principal, College of Nursing, Asia Heart Foundation, Kolkatta.
Corresponding Author: Madhusri Manna
ABSTRACT
Old age is associated with various physical disabilities which lead to dependency on others for daily activities. The dependency on others leads to depression. Negligence by family members is one of the most important factors for depression among elderly persons. Study showed that lack of affection and care were precipitating factors for depressive illness in elderly. Late life depression is associated with sex, marital status, literacy, socio- economic status and family and friend care. These factors should be addressed while formulating health services for elderly persons.
The investigator conducted a non-experimental descriptive study on assessment of mental health problems and social supports among elderly people in a selected rural community, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal with the objectives to assess the mental health problems and social supports of elderly people. 160 elderly people were selected by convenient sampling technique. In this study mental health problems refers to anxiety, depression and suicidal thought. Data were collected with the help of interview schedule on Beck anxiety Inventory, 15 item Geriatric Depression scale, Multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) and Suicide Risk Screening scale. The study findings revealed that elderly people had 36.87% low level anxiety, 33.75% mild levels Depression and 25% moderate level Depression and 35.62%Suicidal thought. Study also showed that 86.87% elderly people had moderate level of Social Support. Result showed thatthere were negative relationship between mental health problem and social support as evident from r value and which were statistically significant at 0.05 level of significance. Result also showed that there were association between age, occupation, marital status with anxiety of the elderly people. There was association between education with depression of the elderly people. There was association between marital status and social support of the elderly people. Study Findings could be effective in developing awareness programme on improvement of social support of the elderly people and during counseling session of the elderly people with mental health problems along with their family members and friends. Future studies in this area could be conducted to a similar study can be replicated on a larger sample.
Key words: Mental health problems, social supports, elderly people, rural community