The survey of concerns and psychological disorders in elderly sanatorium

Background: This study aims at knowing old age problems especially for those living at elderly sanatorium and extending counseling services to the vast and new field of geriatrics in Iran. Methods: In this study, 120 old people who lived at governmental and private elderly sanatorium in Tehran, Iran were randomly enrolled and studied using SCL90-R. Findings: The results showed that signs of depression and somatization disorders were the most common ones among the elderly in elderly sanatorium. In all studied clinical scales, the rate of psychological symptoms was more among women than men. The most important worries of the elderly were economic status, social relations, dissatisfaction with old age, lack of favorite activities and their family members’ treatment. Conclusion: Since living at an elderly sanatorium means staying away from family support and that it is considered reproachable, attending to psychological and emotional needs of the elderly sanatorium is essential.