Page 190 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 190
avje starostnikov | health of the elderly 188 like lockdown are introduced, it is broken. That‘s when people become lone-
ly, and loneliness is often the trigger for depression. During an epidemic, there
is a lot of negative information that increases stress in people, so it is very im-
portant how the government of each country provides information to people.
The elderly are the most vulnerable group of people, who are much more ex-
posed to loneliness even under normal conditions than younger people. It is
therefore necessary that we pay special attention to this group. Gerst-Emerson
& Jayawardhana (2015) state that social relationships are essential for people’s
well-being and research consistently documents that social integration and
support have a protective effect on morbidity and mortality. An important role
can also be played by the nurse in the Reference dispensary of Family Medicine,
who detects the first signs through screening tests and counseling (Projektna
pisarna referenčnih ambulant, 2011). For many, the doctor-patient relationship
is one that provides social support and not just treatment. This possible expla-
nation is confirmed by research confirming that people who are lonely do not
visit a doctor for medical reasons, but to satisfy their needs for interaction and
interpersonal stimulation (Gerst -Emerson & Jayawardhana, 2015).
Conclusion
The main strategy in the fight against COVID-19 is social distancing and this is
the main cause of depression. It is important that primary health care is includ-
ed in the Reference Outpatient Clinics and that preventive activities are carried
out, including the treatment of a depressed patient. In this way, it can detect the
signs in time and prevent the development of depression. Experience from pre-
vious pandemics, such as SARS, has shown that regular telephone counseling,
family contact, relevant and up-to-date information, care for general health
and psychological needs, and respect for privacy and dignity are important
components of mental health care (Wu, et al., 2009). We believe that the nurse
in the referral clinic is key to detecting signs of depression, as patients usually
go for regular check-ups in the referral clinic every year, which allows the nurse
to recognize patients and detect possible abnormalities.
References
ANDREAS, S., SHULZ, H. & VOLKERT, J., 2017. Prevalence of mental dis-
orders in elderly people: the European MentDis_ICF65+ study. British
Journal of Psychiatry, 210(2), pp. 125-131.
BERKOW, R., 2005. Veliki zdravstveni priročnik za domačo uporabo: na-
jpopolnejši pregled medicinskih informacij. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga.
ETTMAN, K. K., ABDALLA, S. M. & COHEN, G. H., 2020. Prevalence of De-
pression Symptoms in US Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pan-
demic. Original Investigation, 3(9), p. 2019686.
FANCOURT , D., STEPTOE, A. & BU, F., 2020. Trajectories of anxiety and de-
pressive symptoms during enforced isolation due to COVID-19 in Eng-
ly, and loneliness is often the trigger for depression. During an epidemic, there
is a lot of negative information that increases stress in people, so it is very im-
portant how the government of each country provides information to people.
The elderly are the most vulnerable group of people, who are much more ex-
posed to loneliness even under normal conditions than younger people. It is
therefore necessary that we pay special attention to this group. Gerst-Emerson
& Jayawardhana (2015) state that social relationships are essential for people’s
well-being and research consistently documents that social integration and
support have a protective effect on morbidity and mortality. An important role
can also be played by the nurse in the Reference dispensary of Family Medicine,
who detects the first signs through screening tests and counseling (Projektna
pisarna referenčnih ambulant, 2011). For many, the doctor-patient relationship
is one that provides social support and not just treatment. This possible expla-
nation is confirmed by research confirming that people who are lonely do not
visit a doctor for medical reasons, but to satisfy their needs for interaction and
interpersonal stimulation (Gerst -Emerson & Jayawardhana, 2015).
Conclusion
The main strategy in the fight against COVID-19 is social distancing and this is
the main cause of depression. It is important that primary health care is includ-
ed in the Reference Outpatient Clinics and that preventive activities are carried
out, including the treatment of a depressed patient. In this way, it can detect the
signs in time and prevent the development of depression. Experience from pre-
vious pandemics, such as SARS, has shown that regular telephone counseling,
family contact, relevant and up-to-date information, care for general health
and psychological needs, and respect for privacy and dignity are important
components of mental health care (Wu, et al., 2009). We believe that the nurse
in the referral clinic is key to detecting signs of depression, as patients usually
go for regular check-ups in the referral clinic every year, which allows the nurse
to recognize patients and detect possible abnormalities.
References
ANDREAS, S., SHULZ, H. & VOLKERT, J., 2017. Prevalence of mental dis-
orders in elderly people: the European MentDis_ICF65+ study. British
Journal of Psychiatry, 210(2), pp. 125-131.
BERKOW, R., 2005. Veliki zdravstveni priročnik za domačo uporabo: na-
jpopolnejši pregled medicinskih informacij. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga.
ETTMAN, K. K., ABDALLA, S. M. & COHEN, G. H., 2020. Prevalence of De-
pression Symptoms in US Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pan-
demic. Original Investigation, 3(9), p. 2019686.
FANCOURT , D., STEPTOE, A. & BU, F., 2020. Trajectories of anxiety and de-
pressive symptoms during enforced isolation due to COVID-19 in Eng-
