Family functioning of elderly with depressive symptoms

• Autor(a) principal: Souza,Rosely Almeida
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Costa,Gislaine Desani da, Yamashita,Cintia Hitomi, Amendola,Fernanda, Gaspar,Jaqueline Correa, Alvarenga,Márcia Regina Martins, Faccenda,Odival, Oliveira,Maria Amélia de Campos
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0080-62342014000300469
• topic: Aged; Depression; Family; Family relations

Objective: To classify families of elderly with depressive symptoms regarding their functioning and to ascertain the presence of an association between these symptoms, family functioning and the characteristics of the elderly. Method: This was an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study performed with 33 teams of the Family Health Strategy in Dourados, MS. The sample consisted of 374 elderly divided into two groups (with and without depressive symptoms). The instruments for data collection were a sociodemographic instrument, the GeriatricDepression Scale (15 items) and the Family Apgar. Results: An association was observed between depressive symptoms and family dysfunction, female gender, four or more people living together, and physical inactivity. Conclusion: The functional family may represent effective support for the elderly with depressive symptoms, because it offers a comfortable environment that ensures the well-being of its members. The dysfunctional family can barely provide necessary care for the elderly, which can exacerbate depressive symptoms.