青森県の老人保健施設に入所中の老人の抑うつ

The depression of elderly persons living in skill-centered nursing homes at Aomori prefecture

要旨：青森県内の2つの老人保健施設に入所中の痴呆状態にない老人を対象として，老人の抑うつの程度と彼らが抱えている悩みについて調査した．その結果，調査した老人の70％以上が境界以上の抑うつの状態を示した．また，老人の悩みは，健康状態に関する悩みがもっとも多く，この悩みの程度と抑うつの程度との間には有意な相関(r＝0.33，p＜0.1)が認められた．このことは，老人保健施設に入所している老人の疾患が彼らの大きな関心事であり，抑うつの誘因となっていることを示唆していた．

　以上のことから，老人保健施設における作業療法は，老人ができることを増やしたり見つけたりすることや気分転換を図ることが重要であると考えられた．

　We conducted a survey on depression and worry in elderly persons living in skill-centered nursing homes. We pointed out that more than 70% of elderly persons living in skill-centered nursing homes were in a state of depression or on the border of depression, and most of elderly persons worry about health. Still more, significant positive correlation was indicated (r=0.33, p＜0.1) between the degree of worry about health and the degree of depressive states. These suggested that elderly persons were concerned with their own disease, and their own disease was the cause of depression. We concluded that encouraging self-sufficiency through activities and various forms of recreation was important.