FADIGA E DEPRESSÃO NO IDOSO

• Autor(a) principal: Martins Júnior, João Lopes
• Data de Publicação: 2007
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da METODISTA
• Texto Completo: http://tede.metodista.br/jspui/handle/tede/1396
• topic: Idoso; Fadiga; Depressão; Ansiedade; Atividade Física; Elderly; Fatigue; Depression; Anxiety; Physical Activity; CNPQ::CIENCIAS HUMANAS::PSICOLOGIA

Fatigue is a non-specific symptom commonly found in the population. Fatigue can be defined as extreme physical tiredness, lack of energy or even a feeling of exhaustion, and must be differentiated from depression or weakness. Depressive and anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders of the elderly, and often lead to severe consequences within this population. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of anxiety and depression on the onset of fatigue and development of health conditions and typical behaviors of the aging process. This is a case-control study investigating anxiety, depression and fatigue. 61 individuals of at least 60 years of age will be evaluated after the following selection process: elderly individuals who live with their families and are considered normal and active, who do not undergo psychiatric treatment and are self-sufficient (individuals who do not depend on others for performing their daily activities, who go out alone, practice sports and do crafts, all literate). A control group consisting of 60 young individuals (up to 35 years of age) will be selected among students of Santo André University to answer a General Characteristics Questionnaire, a state-trait Anxiety Inventory, a Beck Depression Inventory and a Fatigue Severity Scale. The elderly group showed a significantly higher score in the fatigue severity scale in relation to the control group. The elderly group had an average score of 36.87 ± 14.61, whereas the control group had an average score of 31.47 ± 12.74 (t = 2.167; df = 119; p = 0.032). However, the scores of the elderly group in the Beck scale were significantly higher (10.54 ± 8.63) than the control group (6.83 ± 7.95); t = 2.455; df = 119; p = 0.016. An analysis of the elderly group alone showed a significant correlation between the scores in the fatigue severity scale and the Beck depression scale (Pearson s correlation = 0.332; p = 0.009). Once again, an analysis of the elderly group alone revealed a significantly higher score in the fatigue severity scale for individuals who exercise regularly, being the average score 31.55 ± 13.36; (t = 2.203; df = 58; p = 0.032). By analyzing the results of this study, we conclude that on statistical terms, the elderly group has a significantly higher score in relation to the control group, thus revealing more symptoms of fatigue and depression. Such fatigue symptoms occurred in association with depression symptoms, what suggests a possible relation between both factors. This correlation was confirmed upon analyzing the elderly group alone. An analysis of the elderly group alone reveals that those who exercise regularly are less prone to fatigue than those who do not exercise.(AU)