SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS INFLUENCING LATE LIFE DEPRESSION AMONG ELDERLY WOMEN IN SAMARU COMMUNITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS INFLUENCING LATE LIFE DEPRESSION AMONG ELDERLY WOMEN IN SAMARU COMMUNITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
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Date
2015-07
Authors
BALARABE, F.
GARBA, S.N.
TUKUR, B.M.
MUSA, H.A.
ABBAS, N.
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Abstract
Depression is a common mental health problem facing the elderly that is often overlooked and subsequently untreated by health care professionals. Recognition of the problem can be aided by knowledge of the causes or at least the factors associated with it. Identification of specific socio cultural factors has important implications for psychiatric nursing practice, education, and research. This research was carried out to determine the socio-cultural factors influencing late-life depression among elderly women in Samaru community, Zaria. A structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection which was distributed to a sample of 393 respondents out of the 58272 total populations in the community using multistage cluster sampling technique. Validity of instrument was tested and ethical considerations given as consent were obtained from the district head before administration of questionnaires. A return of 376 questionnaires was achieved. The data collected were coded, analyzed and presented using frequency distribution table and percentages. The findings indicated that more than half of the respondents are within the age of 60-69 years, very few are within the age of 80-89 years. More than half of the respondents had ever been depressed. The explored socio cultural factors influencing their depression include; lack of social support, marital distress, financial crises, loss of loved ones, stressful life events among others. Result shows that 78.5% of the elderly do not seek for depression care indicating their negative attitude regarding therapeutic depression care. Almost all of the respondents (93.1%) have heard about late life depression but have no adequate knowledge about it. This study has shown that absent support and financial crisis mainly influenced late-life depression among elderly women in Samaru community.
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Keywords
SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS, LATE LIFE, ELDERLY WOMEN, Attitude,, Depression,, SAMARU COMMUNITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA