Demoralization Syndrome in Elderly People Living in Nursing Homes, Community-Dwelling Elderly People and Those Receiving Day Care Services from Rehabilitation Centers

Objectives Demoralization Syndrome (DS) leads to an inability to cope effectively with stressful events. Elderly people experience existential issues such as meaningless of life, fear of death and regret of missed opportunities and feel inadequate if they are unable to meaningfully and effectively respond to them. Considering the significant effect of living environment on different aspects of mental health, this study aims to investigate the DS and its relationship with housing status in the elderly people. Methods & Materials This is a descriptive comparative study conducted on 325 elderly people in Tehran (110 nursing home residents, 100 day-care receivers, and 115 community dwellers) who were selected using a non-probability sampling method. Data collection tool was the Demoralization Scale of Kissane (2004) which was completed by researchers through face-to-face interviewing with participants. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS V. 20 software using one-way ANOVA. Results The mean overall level of DS in the residents of nursing homes (69.60±17.41) was higher compared to the community dwellers (45.40±21.47), and those receiving day care services from the rehabilitation centers (31.90±17.59), and this difference was significant (P≤0.05). The observed differences in DS among three groups and its subscale scores were statistically significant (P≤0.05). Conclusion Having DS is associated with housing status and lifestyle of the elderly people. Thus, establishing elderly day care centers and supporting family caregivers to achieve a higher level of mental health for the elderly people can be effective.