Caracterización sociodemográfica, epidemiológica y familiar de los adultos mayores deprimidos de cuatro consultorios de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria del Centro de Salud 25 de Enero. Año 2018.

Abstract

Background: The increase in the older adult population brings about changes in morbidity patterns; especially physical and mental disabilities are appreciated, which are included among the most important health problems to face today and within them depression. Materials and methods: Transversal descriptive observational study. I include 96 senior citizens belonging to the Family and Community Medicine offices of the 25 de Enero health center in Guayaquil. The data were collected through the updating of the medical records, family files, as well as the application of the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale and a questionnaire prepared by the author. Results: Of the 96 older adults studied, 56 had mild depression and 11 severe depression, predominantly female, mestizos, those between 65 and 69 years old, retired, married and those with a primary level of education. The risk factors that predominated to develop depression were, that were economically nonproductive people and the low social support. When the families were classified, the large, medium and trigenerational families predominated. The crises linked to old age and health problems prevailed, as well as moderately functional families and within their internal relations there was low affectivity and harmony among their members. Conclusions: More than a third of the older adults have some type of depression, being higher in the female sex. The predominant risk factors for developing depression are psychosocial.