Coexistence groups as a support for the prevention of the depression in the elderly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17267/2317-3378rec.v8i1.1637Keywords:
Elderly. Aging. Depression. Socialization. Mental health.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate depression in elderly participants and non-participants in a coexistence group. METHODOLOGY: This is an exploratory study, with a quantitative approach, that occurred in a municipality in the Southwest Region of Bahia. We evaluated 18 elderly people who attend groups of coexistence and 18 who do not attend, totaling 36 elderly. The instruments used were the Mental State Mini Exam, the Socioeconomic Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Scale. RESULTS: Of the 36 elderly, the majority were female (88.9%), who live alone and are widowed, single or divorced (83.3%) and predominant class E (77.8%). It was verified that 33.3% of the elderly that attend groups of coexistence presented depression, whereas the elderly that do not attend totaled 50%. CONCLUSION: The groups were relevant because they can be considered preventive, providing the elderly with a better social interaction and coping with the aging process.