Representação social da depressão sob o ponto de vista dos idosos institucionalizados

Abstract

The objective of this study is to apprehend the social representations (SR) of the institutionalized elder people on depression, analyzing the processes through which these individuais, in social interaction, construct its communications and organize its behaviors, associated to a practical, elaborated and shared knowledge in the social group. The sample consists of 29 institutionalized elder people between 60 and 93 years old. All the data was collected by half-structuralized interviews based on the theoretical supports of the RS. The content analyses revealed the following categories: conceptions, causes, manifestations and treatment. The conceptions mention the psycho-affective, physic-organic aspects and the humor changes. The emergent causes mentioned the psycho-affective,psychosocial, organic and physical spheres. The manifestations were associated to the behavior, cognition, psycho-affective and physical and organic dimensions. Concerning the treatment, it was emphasized recreative activity, religious belief and medical treatment. The institutionalized elder people represent the depression by loss, death, sadness, suicide, solitude, illnesses and abandon associated to their institutionalized condition.