Abstract
Psychological Problems and its Relationship to the Life Satisfaction among Elderly
Author(s): Eman Hussein Nasser*, Hassan Ali HusseinObjectives: The study aims to identify the psychological problems of the elderly and their relationship to their satisfaction with life.
Method: A descriptive correlational study conducted at nursing home in the Baghdad city on a sample of (130) elderly people. The validity of the questionnaire was verified by presenting it to experts, and its reliability was verified through a pilot study. The total number of items included in the questionnaire was 15 items for depression, 10 items for loneliness, 21 items for anxiety and 11 items for life satisfaction. Data were collected using the interview method and analyzed by applying descriptive and inferential statistical analysis
Results: The results indicate that the average age of the respondents is 70 years, (60%) of the participants are males, (53%) are divorced, (32.5%) are educated within reading and writing, and (31.5%) were previously self-employed. The results showed that life satisfaction among the elderly was negatively correlated with depression (r = -.333; p = .001), loneliness (r = -.218; p = .013) and anxiety (r = -.368; p = .001).
Conclusions: The study concluded that psychological problems such as depression, loneliness, and anxiety negatively affect life satisfaction in the elderly. Recommendations: The results obtained in this study are particularly important to highlight the importance of social support by institutions, social activities, and families for nursing homes so that the elderly do not feel lonely and suffer from psychological problems.