- 期刊
老人憂鬱症狀、生命意義及相關心理社會因素之探討：以榮家老年住民為例
Depressive Symptoms, Meaning in Life and Associated Psychosocial Factors among Older Adults at Veterans Homes
摘要
目的：傳統模式認為老人憂鬱症狀主要源自於社會人口學與壓力／因應因子，然而，此模式未考慮到人類主觀感受或經驗，老年人更重視的議題可能是生命意義，若老人有更多的過去經驗的統整、覺察自己於世上價值、經驗到自我實現，他們可能會有更少的憂鬱症狀，本研究目的為擴展傳統模式對老人憂鬱的解釋，進一步去探討生命意義與老人憂鬱症狀之間的關係。方法：102位受試者來自於北部一所榮民之家，年齡在65歲以上，均為男性，受試者完成個人基本資料問卷、負向生活事件量表、老人社會支持量表、生命意義量表、簡版老年憂鬱症狀量表。結果：首先，以簡版老年憂鬱症狀量表總分5分為切截分數時，獲得老人憂鬱症狀的盛行率為24.5%。其次，階層迴歸分析指出，自覺健康狀況、自覺經濟狀況、社會活動參與情形、負向生活事件及社會支持在老人憂鬱症狀上的迴歸係數達顯著，此模式解釋老人憂鬱症狀的變異量為53%。在加入生命意義量表之後，其在老人憂鬱症狀上的迴歸係數達顯著，但是自覺經濟狀況與社會支持在老人憂鬱症狀上的係數變成不顯著，此模式解釋老人憂鬱症狀的變異量為58%。結論：生命意義在老人憂鬱症狀上扮演著重要角色，其對老人憂鬱的影響力大於自覺經濟狀況與社會支持的影響效果。本研究提出以下建議，保持良好身體健康狀況、減少負向生活事件、定期參與社會活動、對生命意義抱持積極正向的態度，此有助於老人維持心理健康進而降低老人憂鬱症狀。
並列摘要
Objective: The traditional model holds that the symptoms of depression in older adults mainly stem from sociodemographic and stress/coping factors, yet the model overlooks the subjective perception or experience of human beings. Older adults may be more concerned about understanding ＂the meaning of life＂ and feel a need to integrate past experiences to pursue self-actualization or establish self-worth. The more or better they are able to do so, the less depression they may suffer. The study accordingly aimed to move beyond the traditional model to explore the correlation between the meaning of life and the symptoms of elderly depression. Methods: One hundred and two male residents over 65 years old recruited from a veterans home in northern Taiwan completed a questionnaire incorporating general personal information, the Scale of Negative Life Events (SNLE), the Social Support Scale for the Elderly (SSSE), the Purpose in Life Scale (PILS), and the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF). Results: The prevalence rate of depressive symptoms was estimated to be 24.5% with the cutoff point of the GDS-SF set at 5. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the coefficients of self-perceived health status and financial adequacy, social participation, negative life event, and social support on the GDS-SF all reached statistical significance. This model accounted for 53% variance of the GDS-SF score. With the PILS added into the model, the coefficient of the PILS on the GDS-SF was significant. However, the coefficients of self-perceived financial adequacy and social support on the GDS-SF became non-significant. This model accounted for 58% variance of the GDS-SF score. Conclusion: Meaning in life plays an important role in the symptoms of depression in older adults; its influence on the development of depression in the elderly appears to be stronger than financial adequacy and social support. This study thus suggest that, in addition to paying attention to physical health, older adults should reduce negative life events, maintain social activities, and hold positive attitudes toward meaning in life in order to keep depression at bay and stay mentally healthy.