Relationship between depression and social support and morale in the elderly

Context: The priority of health issues in each community changes with aging and some problems related to aging, especially morale. Many factors such as social support and depression affect morale in the elderly.

Aims: Current study aimed to assess the effect of depression and social support on morale in the elderly in the City of Mashhad. Setting and Design: This is a correlational study, which was conducted in 2016.

Materials and Methods: Seventy elders from Bafti and Adviy-e-Chi urban health centers in the City of Mashhad participated in this correlational study in 2016. Related data were collected using Individual Characteristic Questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale, Duke Social Support Scale, and Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale.

Statical Analysis Used: Data analysis was done in SPSS version 16 using multiple regression tests and Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results: The mean age of elders was 71.0 ± 6.2 years old and 68.6 percent (n= 42) of participants were female. Multiple regression test revealed significant reverse relationship between depression and morale in the elderly (P=0.022; β= 0/705), whereas social support had a significant and direct relationship with morale in the elderly (P= 0.003; β= 0.347). Findings of Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant reverse correlation between depression and morale in the elderly (P= 0.031; r= 0.261) and also a direct relationship between social support and morale (P= 0.006; r= 0.389).

Conclusion: Regarding the effect of depression and social support on morale in the elderly, it is recommended to adopt caring and educational programs focusing on depression prevention and augmenting social support in order to improve morale during elderly.