Depression and its Relationship to Suicidal Ideation in the Elderly

Abstract

<p>Depression is one of the most prevalent disorders affecting the elderly that is often unidentified and/or insufficiently treated in our aging population. Depressive symptoms often go unnoticed and manifest themselves as somatic complaints from the elderly and are often misdiagnosed as normal physiological changes of aging. As diagnoses of depression are overlooked or missed, the elderly are subject to a higher risk for feeling hopeless or helpless and hence may develop thoughts of self harm or suicidal ideation (Suter, Suter & Johnston, 2008).</p><p>The proposed study will examine the presence of depression and suicidal ideation in the elderly. This has important implications for nursing in developing the knowledge base to recognize depression and suicidal ideation in the elderly and in implementing interventions that may help this particular population.</p><p>The setting for this study will take place at the Sunset Senior Living Center in the Midwestern United States. The sample will comprise 75 male and female residents ages 65 to 75. Data will be collected utilizing the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with a reported reliability of Cronbach’s Alpha = .89 (Lopez, Quan, & Carvajal, 2010), and the Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS) which yields a Cronbach's Alpha of .90. The SIS is moderately related to depression and hopelessness (Rudd, 1989).</p><p>The study will use a cross-sectional correlational design to support the hypothesis that depression will be positively correlated to suicidal ideation. It is vital for health professionals to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation in the elderly so that interventions can be put in place.</p><p>This poster was presented at the Wright State University Campus-Wide Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 16, 2010.</p>