Literature Review Mental Health
Elderly are not immune to mental health issues. The research question is “How does social support impact the mental health of the elderly?” The research question will allow the study to see what types of social supports help the elderly reduce the mental health issues they face. It will synthesize and evaluate the data, and explain the importance of the topic to establish ways to cite statistics how social support impacts the elderly. It will also establish the key variable, and statistics of the problem areas affecting the elder in mental health. In helping guide readers in a long literature review, a topic-by-topic description will be used to provide major and minor subheadings. It is important to identify issues that the research evidence is inconclusive or contradictory to help to identify further implications or needs for the further study of the elderly.
Mental disorders in the elderly has become a public health concern, and how social support can act a part in reducing mental disorders. “Depression for individuals are costly due to high use of health care services and the increasing need of nursing care” (Buchtemann, Luppa, Bramesfield, & Riedel-Heller, 2012, p. 172). Identifying the importance of social support will help determine ways to lower mental disorders in elderly. The elderly have a propensity to be isolated from society and causing higher medical costs because their health deteriorates. Social support from interaction and relationships tend to strengthen the well-being of older individuals (White, Philogene, Fine, & Sinha, 2009). The literature methods to study the elderly and the social support conducted with two subsamples. They used random sampling and analytic sampling for adults aged 60 years and older (White, Philogene, Fine, & Sinha, 2009). It would show the differences inthe samples to determine the accuracy of the reports. The importance of this study is to determine the effects of socialization has on the elderly and how to educate ways to the well-being of older individuals.
The elderly do not always have the best social support when it comes to their mental health service needs. These needs caused by the stress, anxiety and depression in the elderly population is having. It is estimated that between “18 to 25 percent of elders need mental care for depression, anxiety and the adjustment of aging”. (Persky, 2014)
Some issues that can arise when receiving these types of services is the lack of organized support. In most cases, supporters feel that is appropriate to overlook or oversee the mental care needs of the elderly. There have been programs created due to this issue; there have been outreach efforts to locate and identify the elderly in local communities that have depression to provide any services they feel will help. Relevant research begins by deciphering the problem. As the text states, “The heart of every research project is the problem.” (Practical Research Planning and Design, It Ch. 3). Once a specific research problem is formulated, reading the literature review on the issue is the first step. It is crucial that we know the information on our review very well if we can present our findings with confidence. One can find a literature review in several places, albeit in a library catalog or online database. Through the literature review, “Social Support, Loneliness, and Depression in the Elderly,” it was discovered that there are many factors in the topic of social services impacting the mental health in the elderly.
Social support can mean different things. It can come from human interaction from close loved ones such as friends and family, or there are also official functions that organized through one’s church or community center. Social support can also take the form of the pure happiness that comes from praise, one on one “help with tasks, daily communication, and helpful information, guidance, and social companionship.” (Cobb, 1976).
Surveyed elderly individuals are living in group home environments.
Our group has chosen to use the qualitative method of research.
Sex, race, economic status/income, physical and mental health, former history of depression, stress factors, and cigarette smoking can all be variables. Outcome
“The results indicate that friend support was a more reliable factor for predicting the levels of loneliness and depression after controlling for all other co-founding variables.” (“Social Support, Loneliness, and depression in the elderly,” 2010). Most studies show an increased risk of depression in the elderly who do not have a secure support network. Evidence
“Those residents need more support from friends to decrease the level of loneliness, and depression, that social support plays a big role in mental health.” (Fessman & Lester 2000)
There are also some views that social support can be an added stressor instead of a positive benefit. Forcing socialization when it is not wanted or natural can have the opposite effect on the elderly than what is desired (Cohen, 1985) The information that has been collected integrates the results from multiple studies performed to identify the major issues for depression in the older population. The impact that social support can have on these individuals is to decrease the risk of depression. It could increase the populations’ feelings of being included and supported during their later years of life. “Depression is not a normal part of aging and can be avoided.” (Fiske, Wetherell, & Gatz, 2009) with the use of prevention strategies and the identification of implications of possible risk factors associated with depression.
Key Variable, Statements and Statistics Emphasizing the Importance of theProblem Question: “How does social support impact the mental health of the elderly?” Key variables: Social support, Impact, and mental health
Many people now want or need to work longer due to increased life expectancy. But in many countries it has been denied to older people who have reached the retirement age free access to the workforce. There is evidence of the impact of the mental health working beyond retirement, and the implications for future public health and welfare policy. There have been studies that bring to the conclusion that working beyond retirement age has not had a negative effect on the elderly and may be beneficial for the mental health in the elderly population. Working beyond retirement age can bring a positive and various effects on the elderly lifestyle.
Nationwide, there is an unclear financial crisis that implicates for future public health and welfare policy regarding the increasing of the retirement age. More studies and strategies to identify in the research “of the impact of the mental health” (Maimaris, & Lester, 2000) and social support in the elderly. More strategies will prove that working beyond retirement age does not increase health social inequalities in the elderly as well as self-efficacy with depression and anxiety. The question will need to ask: Does working beyond retirement age and having self-efficacy decrease depression and anxiety or does have social support? Having the dependency of self -control can be more of a positive effect on the elderly working beyond the retirement age and better the health of depression and anxiety than the impact of social support. In the population of the elderly you will find that most lived an independent lifestyle and found pride in knowing that they worked hard and earned what they deserved. Having the dependency of social support will bring that effect down and decrease the mental health in most.
The syntheses of information examine the possible risk factors in depression in older individuals such as genetic and neurobiological factors, the lossof friends and loved ones, loneliness, financial stressors and fairness in the workforce. (“American Psychological Association: Aging and Depression”, 2015). The collected data also analyze the importance that social support may happen to the individuals in this population and how social support can used as an intervention method that can decrease the changes of depression in lthe elderly. Consistent interactions and the building of social relationships can assist in the improvement of self-esteem and well being for the individuals in this population. However, not all individuals may feel comfortable interacting socially with outside sources. Additional information that could help in the furthered exploration of this topic could include the strategies used to motivate apprehensive individuals to become more open and comfortable to the concept of participating in social support groups Statement of Research
“How does social support impact the mental health of the elderly?”