The Predictors Of Geriatric Depression And Intervention Effects Of Aromatherapy

Objective The aim of this study is to explore the influencing factors of geriatric depression,as well as protective and predictive factors, and to explore the intervention effects of aromatherapy and its long-term effectiveness for geriatric depression.Materials and Methods With random sampling method, 830 subjects aged 60 years and above were chosen in Sichuan Province. The questionnaires included Geriatric Depression Scale Short-form(GDS-15), General Sense of Alienation Scale(GSAS), General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC), Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System Scale(BIS/BAS Scale), Social Support Rate Scale(SSRS) and general condition scale designed by ourselves. Subjects answered the questionnaires according to their own situation while the trained staff reading items for them one by one.In the 8 weeks aromatherapy experiment, 60 subjects were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were matching divided into three groups namely aromatherapy massage, aromatherapy and control. Data collection through GDS-15 and PHQ-9 at pre-and post-experiment and at 6, 10 weeks after the experiment. 5-HT levels were detected at pre-and post-experiment. Compared the differences of 5-HT levels at pre-and post-test,the differences of GDS-15 and PHQ-9 at all phases to confirm the intervention effects of aromatherapy and its long-term effectiveness.SPSS21.0 was used to analyze all data. The main statistical methods are significance test, variance analysis and multiple regression analysis, and so on.Results1. It was found that the elderly with various living community type, marital status,educated levels, economic status, self-perceived physical health status, physical exercise,family relationship, chronic disease and stress events over the past year have significant differences on depression score. Factors such as age, gender, religious faith and house conditions have no significant effects on depression. Depression was significantly correlated with alienation, self-efficiency, behavioral inhibition systems, behavioral activation systems, resilience and its three sub-factors, and social support.2. A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that self-perceived physical health status, physical exercise, economic status, alienation, self-efficiency, behavioral inhibition systems and tenacity could significantly predict depression.3. The scores of GDS-15, PHQ-9 in aromatherapy massage group and aromatherapy group were significantly lower than control group. The 5-HT levels of aromatherapy massage group and aromatherapy group were significantly increased after the experiment. No significant differences were found in control group after experiment.The GDS-15 and PHQ-9 scores of experimental group at 6th,10 th weeks after the experiment of aromatherapy massage group and aromatherapy group were significantly higher than control group.Conclusions1. Geriatric depression were influenced by three factors: society environment factor,psychological factor and physiological factor. The important predict factors of depression include physiological factors, such as self-perceived physical health status,physical exercise, psychological factors, such as alienation, self-efficiency, behavioral inhibition systems and tenacity, and social factors, such as economic status.2. Aromatherapy can increase serum 5-HT levels and improve depression status of geriatric depression with a long-term effectiveness.