Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

The risk of violence on the elderly increases according to the impact of intrinsic predictors (physical, psychological, emotional and social isolation) and extrinsic to the elderly (stress and social isolation of the caregiver, financial problems, drugs, alcohol, mental health, ageism and lack of compliance with the rights of the elderly). The purpose of this study was to understand the correlation between the elderly with depressive symptomatology and the predictors of the risk of violence against them. The method used was a quantitative approach using the Statistical Package program for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS). There was a participation of 237 elderly people aged 65-96 years, of the project â�?�?Aging in Safety in Alentejo - Understanding to Actâ�?, at the University of �?�?vora. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS 15, brief version, Yesavage et al., 1983) and the Predictors of Risk of Violence (E-IOA and VASS adaptation) were applied. About the results, 50 elderly (21.1%) had mild depressive symptomatology, and 14 (5.9%) had severe depressive symptomatology. Of the 64 elderly individuals who presented depressive symptomatology 55 were female. In the relationship between the severity of depressive symptomatology and predictors of risk of violence, significant results were found in three dimensions: Current supports and relationships, family context and cognitive / emotional difficulties. The main conclusion of the study is the relationship between depression and risk of violence in the elderly without social support networks, with complex family context and with cognitive and emotional changes. These factors contribute to greater physical and mental vulnerability of the elderly, resulting in cases of anxiety and stress, which present a depressive symptomatology and the risk of violence.

Biography

Joana Alegria Pereira has an Integrated Master in Psychology, with a specialization in Clinical and Health Psychology by University of Minho. Since 2013, she has collaborated with different research groups, having started this journey in the University Research Group on Self-regulation (EPSI-UM), in matters of homework and parental involvement. After completing the integrated master's degree, she has joined the team of NeuroRehabLab (M-ITI), aim to contribute to the clinical validation of new methodologies of cognitive and motor rehabilitation in post-stroke. At the moment, she collaborates as research assistant in the project "Aging with Security in the Alentejo Understanding to Act" (ESACA - Refª: ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000007). This project aims to respond to one of the most pressing societal problems of Portuguese society and the Alentejo region - Aging - by providing future goods and services that correspond to the needs felt by the elderly and institutions (public and social sector).

E-mail: jfap@uevora.pt