Influence Of Psychosocial factors on depression and anxiety. Towards healthy aging

Abstract

Adults from 60 years of age will increase from 605 to 2 billion in the first half of the 21st century. At present, Mexico City and the state of Veracruz are the states with the largest population of older adults in our country. In these ages, the presence of depression and anxiety is related to lower quality of life. The objective of this research was to analyze the association between psychosocial factors and indicators of depression and anxiety in older adults from Veracruz localities. A prospective and correlational research was carried out with 73 cases (63 women and 10 men) of 73 years average (SD = 9), of Xalapa, Coatepec, Perote and Estanzuela, of which 16 adults were institutionalized and 57 were not. The psychosocial factors were documented, the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied. Participants were classified by depression and anxiety scores. The Chi square test was used to analyze the association of categorical variables. The analysis was performed in the statistical programming language R. No significant association was found between sex, institutionalization, city, socioeconomic status, marital status and schooling with depression and anxiety variables. Depression and anxiety were significantly associated. No anxiety indicators were found in 84%; no depression indicators in 52% of older adults. Of the cases with indicators of depression, 34% was mild, 11% moderate and 3% severe. In the older adults evaluated, more indicators of depression than of anxiety were found. Periodic tests should be performed and support strategies should be implemented for cases with difficulties; more psychosocial variables should be measured such as self-perception, family and community support, which allows to face affective problems and to favor healthy well-being.