The Research on Factors related to Depression among the Type of Households in aging society in Shimane Prefecture

2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 16590529
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public health/Health science
• Research Institution: Shimane Nursing College
• Principal Investigator: FUKAZAWA Yoichiro Shimane Nursing College, Professor, 看護学科, 教授 (40127527)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): AGO Yukari Shimane Nursing College, Lecturer, 講師 (30280134)
• Project Period (FY): 2004 – 2005
• Keywords: the aging society / type of households / depression symptoms / the elderly

Research Abstract

In December 2005, we mailed questionnaires to all clinics and hospitals in a fishing area(F) and a mountain area(M) in Shimane Prefecture, where had been condacuted the survey of state of depression by the Geriatric Depression Scale.
The questionnaires include questions regarding the medical care of depression for the elderly, the system of the medical treatment, and the matter of concern for the elderly.
The 6 respondents of M (N=10), and the 8 of F (N=8) provided medical care for the elderly of depression.
The major findings are as follows :
1.Every physician in both areas asked the patients of depression about loss of appetite, lack of sleep, and fatigue if necessary.
2.All physicians in F and half of them in M sought a mental specialist's advice if necessary.
3.All physicians in both areas were interested in the correlation between suicide and depression, and the effective use of antidepressant.
4.This study suggests that there is a necessity in the primary care for the patients of depression and the community-based care system.