A research on anxiety and depression of the elderly in the community

Introduction: Aging is a normal process in the course of human life. It is not a disease, but a condition with many particularities. It is characterized by a decline in organic function and degeneration of the human body cells resulting in physical, biological, intellectual, mental and social downfall. Aim: The aim of the research study was to measure anxiety and depression levels of the elderly in community structures. Methods: The study was conducted in Primary Health Care Structures of Lamia Municipality of the region of Central Greece as well as in Structures of Athikies Municipality of the region of Peloponnese. For data collection, an anonymous self-compiling questionnaire was used. Results: The 81.6% (n=102) of the participants had a >3 anxiety score, which states the presence of anxiety symptoms, while 18.4% (n=23) had a ≤3 anxiety score, which states the absence of anxiety symptoms. The depression for the 84.8% (n=106) of the sample was calculated as >3 in the depression score, which states the presence of depression symptoms, while 15.2% (n=19) of the participants had a ≤3 depression score, which states the absence of depression symptoms. Conclusions: One can easily understand, from this study, that the elderly display high anxiety and depression levels. The female gender and living away from close family are positively related to the development of anxiety or depression in the elderly

Mental Retardation and Parenting Stress

Backround: The presence, upbringing and looking after of a mentally retarded child in the family, can become a threat to the mental health of its parents and is the main predisposing factor of stress for the parents.Aim: The purpose of this systematic review is (a) to document the contemporary research bibliography related to the stress of parents with mentally retarded children, (b) to aggregate the factors and secondary parameters based on the contemporary research related to the influence of the (child’s) mental retardation on the parents and (c) to show an intercultural aspect regarding the presence of stress to parents with mentally retarded children.Methods: Systematic review of research articles published in scientific journals included in the international academic databases HEAL-LING, SAGE, ELSEVIER, WILSON, SCIENCEDIRECT, MEDLINE, PUBMED, PsycINFO, Cochrane, EMBASE, SCIRUS and CINAHL having as search criteria and key words the terms («parental stress and mental retardation» [MeSH], «parenting stress and persons with special needs» [MeSH], «mental retardation and family problems» [MeSH], «stress and parents» [MeSH], «parenting and stress» [MeSH], «mental delay and parents» [MeSH], «developmental disabilities and family stress» [MeSH], «intellectual handicap and parenting» [MeSH], «maternal stress and child with disabilities» [MeSH]).Discussion: The review has proven that all forms of mental retardation have an important -from a statistic point of viewimpacton the parents’ mental health. Anxiety, stress and depression are common symptoms mentioned by the parents.Additionally, there are individual variables such as the husband-wife relationship, the parents’ approach to their child’s disability, the parental strategies used in order to cope with the daily life of the child’s disability and the behavioural problems of their child, all of which contribute to the increase of the level of parental stress.Conclusion: Finally, this review indicates that there is a same level of seriousness of the symptoms and impact of the disability on the parents in counties with different cultures (West – East). However, at the same time, there is a different approach in terms of social support provided to the parents and their everyday stress