The Effects of the Different Activities on the Depression Level of Older People


KOÇAK O., BEKİ A., ETİ S.

OPUS Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi, cilt.8, sa.15, ss.1241-1266, 2018 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

Özet

In modern life, the expected life at birth is improving day by day with the developing health services as well as technologies. With these possibilities, the number of older people is increasing not only in developed but also developing and under developing countries. However, the problems of older people face, today, are different and challenging than before the modern era. Growing cities are hosting more retired and older people who feel excluded in their life than rural areas where older people can do gardening and et cetera activities, visit their children, grandchildren, relatives, peers and easily join spiritual and religious activities. That’s why; more activities should be encouraged and supported by giving legal and institutional opportunities for older people in cities. In this mean, active aging pol-icies which the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance the quality of life, are on the agenda in developed and developing countries. With the activ-ities in the process of aging, older people can continue participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic affairs, not just the ability to be physically active or to participate in the labor force but mental activities. Older people who retire from work or live with disabilities can remain active contributors to their families, friends, environments and nations. In this sense, active aging aims to extend healthy life expectancy and quality of life for all people as they age. With this paper, older people, who are more than 60 years, are studied according to their daily life activities and their effects on their depression level. It was questioned that what kind of activities older people have. In the survey, a depression scale was implemented for 240 older people, 100 of 240 were provided by Bay-rampaşa local governance in İstanbul. Their health situations, income, and education levels, whether they join any NGO, philanthropic and religious activities are asked in the survey. In addition, these variances will be compared with their depression levels.