Depresión en adultos mayores con enfermedades crónico degenerativas

Abstract

The population of elderly adults is increasing significantly worldwide, with a projected growth of 900 million to 2 billion people over 60 between 2015 and 2050. Mental health and emotional well-being are paramount; neuropsychiatric disorders affect the quality of life of older people. Depression is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of sadness, loss of interest, low self-esteem, sleep disorders, lack of appetite, and feeling of tiredness. Objective: To analyze the current state of research on depression in the elderly with chronic degenerative diseases. Methodology: A structured bibliographic review of articles from scientific databases, such as Scopus, Springer, ProQuest, Taylor and Francis, Pubmed, Redalyc, Scielo, and academic Google was performed. Results: In Mexico, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was presented from 8 to 15% among community elders, in Colombia elders presented a prevalence of 19.7%, in Ecuador level 35.3% of elders presented a mild level of depression. The factors that increased the risk of depression were; the lack of spirituality, low socioeconomic level, the experience of recent mourning, and presenting a chronic disease. Conclusions: Depression is a mental disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, sleep disturbances, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. The prevalence of depression in the elderly is increasing worldwide, along with chronic diseases that affect the mental and physical health of the elderly.