International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Optimistic and Pessimistic Attitude Influencing Depressive Symptoms in Old Age

Author Affiliations

  • 1 Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Social Sci., Volume 4, Issue (5), Pages 52-58, May,14 (2015)

Abstract

Depression is the commonest and the most reversible mental health problem in old age. It is associated with physical illness and disability, life events, social isolation and loneliness. Present study attempts to ascertain the role of optimistic and pessimistic attitude for depressive symptoms in individuals at the late stage of their life. The study was carried out with 300 participants of 60 to 85 years age who were drawn from Delhi, India. The respondents were given 21 items BDI scale to measure their level of depression and 56 items OPS scale which measures the optimistic and pessimistic attitude. Linear regression analysis was applied to complete the objectives of the study. Analysis of the responses showed that pessimism was a significant predictor of depression whereas optimism was found as an insignificant predictor of depressive symptoms among elderly. Results also indicated pessimism as a significant predictor of depression among female older persons, elderly living in urban settings, older who had their spouses alive and also among those having spouses not alive.

References

  1. Baldwin R., Mood disorders: depressive disorders. In R. Jacoby, C. Oppenheimer, T. Dening and A. Thomas (Eds.), Oxford Textbook of Old Age Psychiatry (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, (2008)
  2. Beyondblue, Dementia and Depression, Retrieved 30thMay, 2008. (2007)
  3. Ames D., Flynn E., Tuckwell V. and Harrigan, S., Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among in-patients in an acute geriatric hospital, Australian Journal on Ageing., 13, 8-11 (1994)
  4. Murata C., Kondo K., Hirai H., Ichida Y. and Ojima T., Association between depression and socio-economic status among community-dwelling elderly in Japan: the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES), Health Place., 14, 406–414 (2008)
  5. Kim J.M., Shin I.S., Yoon J.S., Stewart R., Prevalence and correlates of late-life depression compared between urban and rural populations in Korea, International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry., 17(5), 409-415 (2002)
  6. Barua A., Ghosh M.K., Kar N. and Basilio M.A., Socio-demographic Factors of Geriatric Depression, Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 32(2), 87–92 (2010)
  7. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.78503 7.Greenhalgh K., Understanding early depression [Internet]; Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts; c2010 [updated 2010 May; cited 2013 Aug 13] Available from:http://health.uml.edu/thc/HealthIssues/Elderly_Depression/Elderly%20Depression.html[ Links] (2013)
  8. Kennedy G.J., The epidemiology of late-life depression. In: Kennedy G.J., editor. Suicide and depression in late life: Critical issues in treatment, research and public policy. New York: John Wiley and Sons, pp. 23–37 (1996)
  9. Stordal E., Krüger B.M., Dahl N.H., Krüger O., Mykletun A., and Dahl A.A., Depression in relation to age and gender in the general population: the Nord-Trondelag Health Study (HUNT), Acta Psychiat Scand, 104, 210-216 (2001)
  10. White L., Blazer D. and Fillenbaum G., Related health problems, in Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Eld erly: NIH Publication 90-495. Edited by Cornoni-Huntley J., Blazer D., Lafferty M., Everett D.,Brock D., Farmer M., Bethesda M.d., National Institute on Aging ,70–85 (1990)
  11. Blazer D., Burchett B., Service C. and George L., The association of age and depression among the elderly: An epidemiologic exploration, Journal of Gerontology,46, 210–215 (1991)
  12. Meller I., Fichter M.M. and Schroppel H., Incidence of depression in octo- and nonagenerians: Results of an epidemiological follow-up community study, European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience,246, 93–99 (1996)
  13. Lightsey R.O., What leads to wellness? The role of psychological resources in well-being, Counselling Psychology, 24, 589-735 (1996)
  14. Scheier M.F. and Carver C.S., Optimism, coping, andhealth: assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies, Health Psychology, 4(3), 219-247 (1985)
  15. Chang L. and McBride C., The factor structure of the Life Orientation Test, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 56, 325-329 (1996)
  16. Carver C.S. and Gaines J.G., Optimism, pessimism, and postpartum depression, Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11(4), 449-462 (1987)
  17. Velden P.G., Kleber R.J., Fournier M., Grievink L.,Drogendijk A. and Gersons B.P., The association between dispositional optimism and mental health problems among disaster victims and a comparison group: a prospective study, Journal of Affective Disorders, 102(3), 35-45 (2007)
  18. Puskar K.R., Sereika S.M., Lamb J., and Tasaire-Mumford K., Optimism and its relationship to depression, coping, anger and life events in rural adolescent, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 20(2), 115-130 (1999)
  19. Mosher C.E., Prelow H., Chen W., and Yackel E., Coping and social support as mediators of the relation of optimism to depressive symptoms among black college students, Journal of Black Psychology, 32(1), 72-86 (2006)
  20. Hasan N., and Power T.G., Optimism and pessimism inchildren: A study of parenting correlates, International Journal of Behavioral Development, 26(2), 185-191 (2002)
  21. Beck A. T., Steer R. A., and Brown G. K., Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory–II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation, (1996)
  22. Dember W.N., Martin S.H., Hummer M.K., Howe S.R., and Melton R.S. The measurement of optimism and pessimism, Current Psychology: Research and Reviews8(1), 102-119 (1989)
  23. Joshi R. and Tomar S., A study of optimism and pessimism on emotional maturity, depression and coping strategies among adolescents, International Research Journal, 1 (3 and 4), 42-47 (2010)