title: Quality of Life, Integrative Community Therapy, Family Support, and Satisfaction with Health Services Among Elderly Adults with and without Symptoms of Depression.
abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyse quality of life, socio-demographic characteristics, family support, satisfaction with health services, and effect of integrative community therapy among non-institutionalised elderly adults with and without symptoms of depression in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data from elderly adults with (n = 59) and without (n = 61) depressive symptoms were compared. The instruments used were the Mini-Mental State Examination, the short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale, a clinical socio-demographic questionnaire, the abbreviated version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire, the Family Assessment Device, and the Patient Satisfaction with Mental Health Services Rating Scale. Elderly adults with depressive symptoms had lower quality of life in the social relations domain than did those without depressive symptoms (p = 0.003). In addition, compared with those without depression, fewer elderly adults with depressive symptoms attended integrative community therapy (p = 0.04); they also reported a low degree of family involvement in problem solving (p = 0.04) and showed apathy regarding their satisfaction with health services (p = 0.007). These results have important implications in the decision-making process with regard to strategies for improving the health status of elderly adults with depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Science, Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Lima Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Postgraduate Programmes in Biological Science and Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia/(RENORBIO), Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Addison Carvalho Xavier
authors.initials: CACX
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Postgraduate Programme in Biological Science, Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gerlane Coelho Bernardo
authors.initials: GCB
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: Department Production Engineer, Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Priscila Helena Antunes
authors.initials: PHA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Postgraduate Programme in Functional and Structural Biology and Health Science, Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raimundo Fernandes
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: de Araújo Júnior
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Science, Department of Pharmacy, University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stphannie Jamyla
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: de Araújo Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Postgraduate Programmes in Public Health and Pharmaceutical Science, Federal University of Rio Grande Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil. aurigena@ufrnet.br.
authors.forename: Aurigena Antunes
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: de Araújo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Depression; Elderly adult; Integrative community therapy; Quality of life