Anxiety and depression in institutionalized older adults from a nursing home in Luque, Paraguay

Abstract

Objective: To analyze emotional deterioration among older adults in a nursing home in Luque, describing the sample's sociodemographic characteristics and identifying and measuring anxiety and depression levels.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 40 older adults from a nursing home in Luque, aged 53 to 87 years. The Beck Anxiety Inventory and the State scale of the State-Trait Depression Inventory (IDER) were administered.

Results: Of participants, 57.5% were female and 42.5% male. Low anxiety levels predominated in the younger age group, with a progressive increase in high levels toward older groups; the correlation between age and anxiety was negative and negligible, without statistical significance (r = -0.088; p = 0.588). The most frequent anxiety symptoms were fear that the worst will happen, terrors, inability to relax, tingling or numbness, and dizziness or lightheadedness. Depression levels also increased with age, more markedly in those aged 74 or older, with a positive negligible correlation without statistical significance (r = 0.142; p = 0.384); women had a higher proportion of high depression levels than men. The most frequent depressive symptoms were difficulty returning to sleep after early awakening and loss of physical energy. The correlation between anxiety and depression was positive, weak, and without statistical significance (r = 0.212; p = 0.189).

Conclusion: In this sample of institutionalized older adults, both anxiety and depression tended to increase in the oldest age group, without statistically significant correlations, underscoring the need for active mental health surveillance in this age group regardless of specific age within the older-adult range.