Determining the Major Stressful Events in Elderly People and their Relation with Depession and Cognitive Decline

Global investigations show that the elderly population is increasing because of the health care development. However, this group is continuously experiencing physical and mental problems. The elderly population is increasing in Iran too. In order to importance of this stage, the purpose of the present study was to determining the major stressful events and to examine their relation with depression and cognitive decline in elderly people of Yazd. For this purpose a group of 160 elders (100 males and 60 females) from the elders in Yazd were selected randomly by multistage cluster sampling. The Mini Mental Status Examination Questionnaire, Elders Stressful Life Events Inventory (created by researchers), and Geriatric Depression Scale were used to assess research variables. Data were analyzed using exploration factor analysis and Pearson correlation. Results of research indicated that events related to economic problems, social problems, occupational problems, health, bereavement were major stressors in elderly people. Indeed economic problems, social problems, occupational problems, health, bereavement were related to depression and social problems were related to cognitive decline. Overall, Aging is a lifetime of decreasing income, restricted social communication, and loss of social roles, health problems and bereavement. Stress of these problems have positive relationship with incidence of depressive symptoms and stress of social problems has positive relationship with incidence of cognitive decline.