Syed Othman Ahmad Alkaff

Kemurungan Di Kalangan Warga Tua Syed Othman Ahmad Alkaff Malay edition

This descriptive study discussed depression among senior citizens that lived in the Home for the Aged, Darul Takrim (DT), Jamiyah, Singapore. The aim of this study was to identify the level of depression among senior citizens, effect of depression on their emotion and to find out the form of emotional support needed by them in the institution. Depression experienced by senior citizens is due to several factors such as psychological factor, life experience and physiological factor. This study is carried out using quantitative and qualitative approach. 26 subjects have been selected based on random sampling. They consist of 19 male and 7 female. The quantitative research instrument used questionnaires that are made up of two parts: demographic information built by researcher and Zung Depression Self-Rating Scale inventory that was downloaded. The qualitative study using face-to-face interview method was executed after quantitative study findings for level of depression are analysed using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 16.0 software). Four citizens under the purposive sampling found depressed was interviewed. Results showed that there are some citizens which experience medium depression that required attention in the institution, similarly for the effect of depression on their emotion. From there, the data collected from face-toface interview was analysed based on the feedback given by the subject and were classified according to the three levels: minimum, medium and critical based on researcher?s observation. Result analysed showed that emotional effect of senior citizen in DT were critical. Symptoms such as regret, sad, sleep complaints, unable to sleep, feeling useless, and isolation of self, proved its criticality. The analysis of the three characteristics for the Diagnosis of Depressive Disorders in Zung Depression Self-Rating Scale consisting of ?Pervasive Affect? which shows a mean value of 1.652, ?Physiological equivalents? which shows a mean value of 1.673 and ?Psychological equivalents? which shows a mean value of 1.673 concluded that depression among the citizens in the institution is satisfactory. For the forms of emotional support, it was found that social support from the staff and from the institution itself is of high hope. There is also social support from their children and also from some of the residents. This study has also adduced a few suggestions so that the authority from MCYDS/JKM will continue to give their help and support to operators of Home for the Aged in the country.