Depression in the Elderly in a Giatric Hospital Research Paper

Depression in the Elderly in a Giatric Hospital - Research Paper Example A condition for inclusion in the sample was that the patient must have stayed in the hospital for a period of not less 3 months. This was informed by the reason that anxiety/depression is directly proportional to amount of time one spends away from their accustomed residence. Other criteria for inclusion included no psychological diseases, Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) score of 18, and participants’ informed consent of the study. The choice of sample from four different health facilities is laudable as it improves the randomness of the data used and thus limits un-representativeness of the findings. Administration of questionnaires formed the primary method of data collection. All participants were required to fill in their questionnaires with the best possible answers. Those who had difficulties providing responses were assisted by research assistants, who read out the questions to the patients and basing on the responses, filled in the questionnaires. All but 5 of the 200 administered questions were returned with completed responses. While questionnaires are effective tools for data collection, they may not be as effective among the elderly as compared to the other age groups. This is because a significant number of the elderly in these facilities suffer from abnormal conditions such as dementia which may compromise their responses. As such, the researcher should have focussed on either interview or observation. The research used descriptive research design. Such a design is the best technique for gathering information that would show relationships and define why the world exists as it is. In this research, Jee and Lee were certainly concerned with the cases of depression among the elderly. The choice to send the elderly people in rehabilitation facilities is often dreaded by many people who are aging. The fact on the ground is that such a shift in