| Objectives:To understand the status of Geriatric depression, loneliness and social support among the old people in Yanbian area; to analyze the difference of Geriatric Depression, loneliness and social support in social demographic characteristics and family characteristics; to examine the relationships among social support Geriatric depression, and loneliness; to explore the influence of social support on Geriatric Depression and loneliness.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional correlational study using convenience sampling to enroll 603 old people in Yanbian area. The questionnaire used in the study included 4 parts:demographic information, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, Loneliness Scale and Social Support Rating Scale. In the study, frequency analysis and chi-square test were performed to analyze the data using SPSS 17.0. Frequency analysis, and descriptive analysis was used to describe the status of social demographic characteristics, family characteristics, geriatric depression, loneliness and social support. One-way ANOVA, and t-test was used to examine the difference of geriatric depression, loneliness and social support among the social demographic characteristics and family characteristics. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationships among geriatric depression, loneliness and social support.Results:(1) Social demographic characteristics:A total of 603 subjects was included in the study. Among them, the number of male subjects was 244, accounting for 40.5%, and the number of Korean people is 197, accounting for 32.7%. More than half of the old people who aged 60-69, accounted for 52.4%; the old people who aged more than 70-79, accounted for 33.3%;the old people who aged over 80, accounted for 14.3%. The oldest people are 93 years old. Urban elderly people accounted for 72%, and most of the subjects were in lower education level (primary school or lower), accounting for 66.7%. About half of the subjects were freelancers accounting for 47.4%. Among the subjects, about 72 had religions, accounting for 11.9%. About 37.3% of the subjects’ monthly cost of living were between 1000 and 2000 has the most people. Majority of the subjects have health insurance, accounting for 83.1%.(2) Family characteristics of the subjects:The subjects who got married had a large number, accounting for 70.3% and the subjects who has child accounted for 96.4%. The subjects who lived with couples accounted for 54.7%, and there were 489 elderly people who were cared by their children, spouse and relatives, accounting for 81.1%. The subjects who were visited by their children once a week accounted for 59.4% and there were 185 elderly people who helped their children to take care of child’s kids, accounting for 30.7%. In addition, the subjects who had chronic diseases accounted for 68%.(3) The average score of depression was 3.75(SD=.418), and the rate of Geriatric Depression was 15.3%. The elderly people who is Korean, 60-69 years old, in urban household, in high education level, being brain power workers, having over 2000yuan per month for living, having medical insurance had a low score in GDS-15 and had a good mental health status. The elderly people who got married, lived with spouse, helped their children to take care of child’s kids and had no chronic disease had a low score in GDS-15 and had a good mental health status.(4) The average score of loneliness was 38.92(SD=10.725. The elderly people who is 60-69 years old, in urban household, in the high education level, being the brain power workers, having over 2000yuan per month for living, having medical insurance had a low score in Loneliness Scale and had a good mental health status. The elderly people who got married, lived with spouse, helped their children to take care of child’s kids and had no chronic disease had a low score in Loneliness, and had a good mental health status.(5) The average score of social support was 35.14(SD=7.693), the average score of objective support was 6.93(SD=2.717), the average score of subjective support was 20.79(SD=4.546), and the average score of utilization of social support was 7.42(SD=2.532). The elderly people who is 60-69 years old, in urban household, in the high education level, being the brain power workers, having over 2000yuan per month for living, having medical insurance had a high score in Social Support. The elderly people who got married, lived with spouse, helped their children to take care of child’s kids and had no chronic disease had a high score in Social Support.(6) Social support in the old people has significantly negative correlation with geriatric depression status (P<0.001). The old people who had a high level of social support, depression symptoms was slightly, and they has a good mental health status. Social support in the old people has significantly negative correlation with loneliness (p<0.001). The old people who had a high level of social support, the level of loneliness was slightly, and had a good mental health status.(7) In the linear regression analysis, it was showed that helping their child’ s kids or not, having chronic disease or not, social support status, loneliness were significant predictors of geriatric depression, accounting for 39.8% variance of the geriatric depression.Conclusion:(1) The rate of the Geriatric Depression was in the middle level, and it is necessary to pay for more attention to improve the mental health status of the elderly people. Geriatric Depression had significant difference in the variables of age, household register, degree of education, marital status.(2) The loneliness of the old people was almost universal. Loneliness had significant difference in the variables of age, household register, degree of education, professional status, budget of per month, medical insurance and marital status.(3)Social support in old people was in upper level. Social support had significant difference in the variables of nationality, age, household register, degree of education, professional status, budget of per month, and marital status.(4) The old people who had higher level of social support, felt the lower level of loneliness, was not in a depression emotion, and had a good mental health status. (5) The variables of helping their child’s kids or not, having chronic disease or not, objective support, subjective support, utilization of social support and loneliness has a significantly influence on geriatric depression. |
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