MORAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT STATUSES AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS AGED 65 AND OVER WHO HAVE CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE

Abstract

The current study was undertaken to determine the status of morale, social support, and depressive symptoms among patients aged ≥ 65 years old with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study was conducted in a descriptive and correlational design. The data were collected using patient descriptive forms developed by the researchers, a personal information form about the disease, Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Geriatric Depression Scale through face-to-face interview method. For the analyses of the data; percentages, means, Mann Whitney U, Kruskall Wallis, and Correlation Analyses tests were employed. The rate of patients currently smoking was 6.2% whereas the rate of patients previously smoking was 60.6%. It was found that 50.9% of the elderly COPD patients had severe depression and their average depression score was 13.76±5.02, their average morale score was 5.78±2.11 and their average social support score was 54.71±16.80. It was found that there was a negative and significant correlation between morale and social support status of the elders whereas there was no correlation between morale and depression symptoms. It was identified that elderly COPD patients had lower morale status, moderate social support status, and more than half of them demonstrated depressive symptoms. While the morale levels of the patients decreased, their social support status increased. It is recommended that sufficient support systems should be provided to the elders to reduce their depression symptoms and to elevate their morale levels.

Keywords

• elderly
• morale
• social support
• depression
• nursing