Medical physiology
Sima Nasri; Mohammad Oraki; Nadereh Amin
Abstract
Aging is a natural process and increase of age in synchronized societies is associated with behavioral and physiological challenges. The most important of these challenges are the three indicators of perceived stress, depression and cortisol hormone. This research was conducted to compare levels of cortisol ...
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Aging is a natural process and increase of age in synchronized societies is associated with behavioral and physiological challenges. The most important of these challenges are the three indicators of perceived stress, depression and cortisol hormone. This research was conducted to compare levels of cortisol hormone with perceived stress and depression in elderly women living in private old people’s homes and private houses in Tehran. The statistical population included elderly women aged between 65 to 75 years old that were residents of the private old people’s homes and private houses in Tehran. Data were collected by the Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale developed by Sheldon Cohen, and determination of serum cortisol levels in the laboratory. The results of this study showed that levels of cortisol hormone and depression in elderly women living in the private old people’s homes and private houses had a significant difference (p <0.05). The perceived stress variable had no significant difference. The difference in depression rate may be due to family relationships and the presence of family members at the private houses, and non-existence of difference in the perceived stress rate and its inverse ratio with increase of age may be due to the experience and credibility of events in the world. Considering the impact of the living environment on the psychological problems in the elderly, national measures should be taken to improve the quality of life of the elderly and to empower them through social and governmental movements.
