The Explorer Islamabad: Journal of Social Sciences ISSN: 2411-0132(E), 2411-5487(P) Vol-2, Issue (2): 35-37 www.theexplorerpak.org
SOCIAL INTERACTION AT HOUSE HOLD LEVEL AND MENTAL HEALTH Amal Urooj, Afshan Taufeeq Department of Anthropology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi Corresponding Author: Amal Urooj PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi amalseyal@gmail.com Abstract: Old age studies are often referred to as gerontology. Family plays an important role in the health of old people, whereas mostly old people face neglect at both family and social level. This disregard and lack of attention leads to mental disorders like depression. This mental suffering is a serious problem for old people of a society. Old age homes are built in various parts of world to provide shelter to those who are not looked after by their families. Methodology: primary data was collected through questionnaire based interviews; total numbers of respondents for this study were 50. Both male and female were included. Results: among 50 respondents 34%people agreed with the fact that they were neglected by children whereas 66% disagreed with it. The results further shows that 34% of the respondents felt depressed but only 4%people wanted to leave there home and wanted to go old age homes. Conclusion: Older people were being neglected so social interaction activities must be planed to make them more independent.
Key Words: Old Age, Social Interaction among House Hold, Mental Health INTRODUCTION Old age is common in all countries and is also known as Gerontology. Globalization is frequently bandied about as an omnipresent covering term alluding to the juncture of merchandise, work and data bridging national outskirts, yet it is not regularly considered especially pertinent to gerontology examination. The demographic profiles vary broadly among countries. The populaces of the United states , Canada, and western Europe are broadly know not “turning gray” yet the extents of the populaces that are grandparents in countries , for example, China, Kenya, or Mexico posture altogether distinctive social and monetary inquiries . In Pakistan there is large number of old people (Ahmed, et al. 2015).”Despite the fact that there are more limited opportunities for work, only one-fifth of older people worldwide have pensions and coverage is even lower in developing” (Samman and Rodriguez-Takeuchi 2013). Social interaction is an exchange between groups or individuals; it referred to particular externalities to keep in touch with family, neighbor and friends which are seldom observed in older people. Old people are less involved in households activities .They are neglected by their children and the realization of being ignored and mistreated leads to mental problems. They suffer from diseases like foot problems, weakened
immune systems, and mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s (Bhatt, et al. 2014). This Background note focuses on inequalities associated with old age, disability and mental health. Gerontology is a discipline concerned with the study of older age or ageing.”Every year an estimated 4 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect (American Psychological Association 2012). The elderly population is large in general and growing due to advancement of health care education. These people are facing psychological and social shift in their roles that challenge their sense of self and happy lives. Most of people experience loneliness and depression in old age due to lack of close family ties and reduced connections. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationships among depression and loneliness in elderly people. The presence of perceived loneliness contributed strongly to the effect of depression. According to WHO Developing countries will become old before they become rich while industrialized countries became rich while they were growing old (Chaudhry, et al. 2015). By the year 2020 it is anticipated that one in three deaths in developing countries will be through causes related to old age and majority of these death will be from non
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–contagious diseases such as cancers and diabetes. Loneliness may create serious health related problems .The major cause of loneliness is death of spouse in old age. MATERIALS AND METHODS The data was collected through interviews and 50 respondents were being interviewed. Dokhkalakhan was the locale. Men and women both are interviewed for this study and it was anticipated that people here suffered mostly from depression and loneliness due to lack of care and attention from family members. All the respondents were separately interviewed and questionnaires were filled in a friendly environment. When asked about social interaction answer from most of the respondents was positive. Despite being neglected by their families and having problems in adjusting with children majority was not willing to go to old age homes. Following factors were considered during the interview Their physical appearance and social interaction was observed. social interaction and mental health issues were identified Over all view on their life style. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Table.1: Do you feel you are neglected by your children?
Category Agree
Frequency
Percent
17
34
Disagree
33
66
50 100 Total In the answer of neglected by children 34% old people agree that they are neglected and 66% disagree with it. Reason of neglecting is lack of family tries and reduces connection with family. Table. 2: Do you find difficulty in adjusting children?
Response
Frequency
Percent
6 12 9 18 35 70 Never Total 50 100 Problem in adjusting with children is basically generation gap. And the main problem identified in both traditional and modern societies is that due attention is not given by children. 12%people agreed that they faced adjusting problem because they were dependent on their family. Always Sometime
Table.3: Do you feel depressed?
Response Frequency Percent Yes 17 34 No 33 66 Total 50 100 34%old people were depressed because they were economically week or dependent on their families and some of them were depressed because of their children future and some were depressed because of rude behavior of their children. And 66%people didn’t agree that they are depressed.”Significant symptoms of depression are common in the older communitydwelling population (Penninx, et al. 1998). Table. 4: Are you willing to go old age home?
Response Yes No
Frequency
Percent
2 4 48 96 50 100 Total 4%people agreed to go to old age home; financial constraints, feeling of being a burden and ultimate neglect were the possible reason for the desire to move to old age houses. 96% did not agree to go old age home, one of them said that “in spite of the fact that we were being neglected by our children but we still want to stay at home as old age home are not like our own homes; where we get to see our loved one often. They would become uncomfortable even upon the mention of the word old age homes. CONCLUSION Old people around the world are mostly neglected by the society and their families. This research is focused on identifying problems of old people as well as the causes of these problems. Study was concluded on the basis of quantitative data. Old people were target of neglect and they had problem in social interaction at household level. They have very little opportunity of social interaction. The old people who were economically strong had say in household affairs. The old people who were depending upon their families were mostly neglected by others. Government should have to make social institute to help old people (Liang, et al. 1992). Study recommends that there must be allowance and facilities for older people, to help them revive their active role and status in the society. These facilities and healthy social interaction would decrees the mental health issue among old people.
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REFERENCES Ahmed Aftab, Abid Ghafoor Chaudhry, and Harris Farooq 2015 Perceived Ageing and Elder’s Health: An Anthropological Study of Older Persons of Rawalpindi. Professional Med J 22(5): 577-581. American Psychological Association 2012 Elder Abuse &Neglect In Search of Solutions. http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/g uides/elder-abuse.pdf Bhatt, Bindu M., Shivani Vyas, and Janak P. Joshi 2014 Ageing And Health: A Health Profile of Inmates of Old Age Home. Education 70(42): 58. Chaudhry, Abid Ghafoor, Aftab Ahmed, and Altaf Ghani Bhatti 2015 Older Persons; Medical Care, Social Protection and United Nations Principles: An Anthropo-Gerontological Approach on Geriatric Health. Professional Med J 22(1):064-071. Liang, Jersey, Shengzu Gu, and Neal Krause 1992 Social Support among the Aged in Wuhan, China. Asia-pacific Population Journal/United Nations 7(3): 33-62. Penninx, Brenda W. J. H., Jack M. Guralnik, Luigi Ferrucci, Eleanor M. Simonsick, Dorly J. H. Deeg, and Robert B. Wallace 1998 Depressive Symptoms and Physical Decline in Community-dwelling Older Persons. Jama 279(21):17201726. Samman, Emma, and L. Rodriguez-Takeuchi 2013 Old Age, Disability and Mental Health: Data Issues for a Post-2015 Framework. London: Overseas Development Institute. Publication Date: Feb-29 -2016 © 2016 “The Explorer Islamabad” Journal of Social Sciences-Pakistan
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