Relationship between Social Support, Loneliness, and Depression among Elderly People

Abstract

Introduction: Aging is a sensitive period of human life so attention to their needs and issues is of greatest importance. Aim: To determine the relationship between social support, loneliness, and depression among elderly people. Methods: A descriptive-correlation research design was used. The subjects consisted of 150 elderly persons who are selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study was carried out in one randomly selected village (El Badala) from 23 village affiliated to El-Mansoura District, Egypt. Tools of data collection included mini – mental state examination (MMSE), socio-demographic and clinical data structured interview schedule, UCLA loneliness scale, a multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) and the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Results: 80% of elderly reported moderate social support,86%of them reported a mild feeling of loneliness, and56% of them reported mild depression. Conclusion: There was a positive significant, correlation between the level of loneliness and depression, while there was a negative correlation between social support and loneliness, and between social support and depression. Recommendation: Design an educational program for elders about the importance of social support to reduce loneliness and depression among them.