Community-based mental health prevention strategy with older adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the components required for the implementation of a community-based intervention strategy for mental health prevention in older adults in a poor neighborhood in the city of Temuco. The sample of the qualitative study was composed of 15 older adults, 2 neighborhood leaders, and 2 psychosocial interveners who have been working in the sector. The design corresponds to a case study, and semi-structured interviews guided by a guideline of topics and participant observation in activities carried out with older adults in a mental health and self-care workshop were used in the production of data. The data were interpreted through content analysis. The results show that the form of aging is characterized by loneliness and feelings of sadness, including in some cases tensions derived from family dynamics. There is also economic precariousness and difficulty in accessing health services. During the pandemic, they had to face various situations that increased their feelings of loneliness and helplessness. On the other hand, the results show that neighborhood strategies to support the elderly operate on a contingency basis, and are of an assistance type. On the other hand, there is little presence of services and interventions by professional teams of public policy programs focused on this population group. Among the priority needs of the people interviewed are social contact, breaking the routine, participating in collective recreational activities aimed at sharing with others, and developing workshops with external professionals that allow them to learn. In relation to the strategies that can contribute to a community-based intervention, the need for workshop-type group activities is identified, with a horizontal and close treatment of the professionals who dynamize them. These should be held regularly (weekly), with a personalized call, including the use of participatory and playful strategies and the possibility of developing handicrafts. The workshops are understood by the elderly as a space for socialization, mutual support and learning. According to the findings of the research, these workshops should be complemented with interventions and resources that promote healthy lifestyles and resources to adequately meet the needs of the elderly.