Exploring the Links between Depression, Integrity, and Hope in the Elderly

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To explore the links between depression, integrity, and hope in the elderly. METHOD: For this pilot study, we recruited a voluntary sample of cognitively intact elderly patients receiving psychiatric care (n = 35). Recruitment sources included an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit (n = 14), a geriatric psychiatry day program (n = 6), and an outpatient geriatric psychiatry service (n = 15). Participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure depression, acording to the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDSSF); integrity, according to the Sense of Coherence Scale-Short Form (SOC-13); and hope, according to the Hope Differential-Short (HDS) and the Hope Numerical Rating Scale (Hope-NRS). The HDS consists of 3 separate subscales: Personal Spirit, Risk, and Authentic Caring. We analyzed the data, using descriptive statistics, t tests, and Pearson correlations. RESULTS: Patients with no depression (n = 17) showed a greater sense of coherence (SOC) (P < 0.01), higher levels of hope (Hope-NRS, P < 0.05), enhanced Personal Spirit (HDS subscale, P < 0.05), and greater risk taking (HDS subscale, P < 0.01) than did patients with depression (n = 18). The 2 variables that correlated most highly with depression were SOC (r = -0.65, P < 0.01) and Risk (HDS subscale, r = -0.62, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that depression, integrity, and hope are highly interrelated in the elderly population and may influence mastery of the developmental tasks of aging. Further research is warranted to better understand these complex experiences in late life.

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