Sofrimento psíquico em idosos residentes em um município do interior do Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

Objective: to identify the prevalence of risk for mental suffering and to characterize sociodemographic factors and life habits in the elderly. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory, cross - sectional study with a quantitative approach involving a convenience sample of 58 elderly people living in the municipality of Santa Cruz / RN. Data were collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Self Report Questionare (SRQ-20), from July to September 2017 and the data were submitted to descriptive analysis. Results: The prevalence of risk for mental suffering was 38.7%. Female gender (69.0%), age between 70 and 74 years (27.6%). Non-literate (37.9%), married (60.3%) and most are Catholics (77.6%). The majority are retired (94.8%), farmers (48.3%) and income is 1 to 2 minimum wages (89.7%). Non-smokers (81.0%) and non-alcoholics (96.6%) did not attend elderly cohabitation groups (79.3%) and most did not live alone (91.4%). Large portions present cardiovascular health problems (33%). Conclusion: The prevalence of mental suffering in the studied population points to the importance of the theme and the need for new studies.