Coping with depression in later life: a qualitative study of help-seeking in three ethnic groups

Abstract

Background. Research suggests high levels of depression and low levels of service use among older adults from UK minority ethnic groups. This study aimed to explore older adults' attitudes and beliefs regarding what would help someone with depression, and to consider how these may facilitate or deter older people from accessing treatment.Method. In-depth individual qualitative interviews were conducted with older adults with depression (treated and untreated) and the non-depressed older population. A multi-cultural approach was used that incorporated the perspectives of 32 black Caribbean, 33 South Asian and 45 white British older adults.Results. Participants felt that the responsibility for combating depression was an internal and individual task with support considered secondary. However, the majority expressed a willingness and desire to discuss psychosocial problems. Within the black Caribbean group, conversing with God through prayer was seen as an effective means of overcoming depression, while a large proportion of South Asian and white British participants identified families as an important source of help. There was wide variation in how older adults construed the role of the general practitioner (GP) and many expressed acute awareness of the demands on GPs' time.Conclusions. Efforts to socialize and remain active may provide a useful and acceptable adjunct to clinical interventions. However, there is a need to communicate that depression often necessitates formal help, and that it is acceptable to voice concerns regarding emotional states in a GP consultation. The findings suggest that older adults would welcome the opportunity to discuss their feelings with health-care professionals.

Surviving depressive ill‐health: A qualitative systematic review of older persons' narratives

“…Two studies employed content analysis (Ugarriza, 2002;Conner et al, 2010), two studies qualitative content analysis (Soonthorchaiya & Cancy, 2006;Black et al 2007), while a further two applied grounded theory (Lawrence et al, 2006;Wittink et al, 2009). Two studies did not describe the analysis method (Pierce et al, 2003;Switzer et al, 2009).…”

“…Eleven of the studies (Hedelin & Strandmark, 2001b;Ugarriza, 2002;Hedelin & Jonsson, 2003;Pierce et al, 2003;Barg et al, 2006;Lawrence et al, 2006;Soonthornchaiya & Dancy, 2006;Black et al, 2007;Allan & Dixon, 2009;Switzer et al, 2009;Conner et al, Surviving depressive ill-health One study used several strategies to address credibility including immersion in the data through multiple readings, discussions by the study team, searches for discrepant cases and peer debriefing. Four studies mentioned limitations related to generalisability of the results (Ugarriza, 2002;Lawrence et al, 2006;Allan & Dixon, 2009;Conner et al, 2010).…”

“…Four studies mentioned limitations related to generalisability of the results (Ugarriza, 2002;Lawrence et al, 2006;Allan & Dixon, 2009;Conner et al, 2010).…”

Increasing equity of access to high-quality mental health services in primary care: a mixed-methods study

“…Twenty-one papers were identified as suitable for detailed analysis: two each for advanced cancer 201,202 and adolescents with eating disorders, 203,204 one each for homelessness 205 and employment problems, 206 two for older people with depression, 48,207 six for medically unexplained symptoms, [208][209][210][211][212][213] three for asylum seekers [214][215][216] and four for BME communities. 29,217-219 Figure 5 shows the flow of studies through the review process.…”

Qualitative research in psychogeriatrics

“…Techniques include informal conversational interviews, the general interview guide approach or standardized open-ended interviews (Patton, 2002). For example, Black and Rubinstein (2004) used extended qualitative interviews with a sample of community-residing elders to examine the personal meaning of suffering, while Lawrence and colleagues interviewed elders to explore their attitudes and beliefs about the nature and causes of depression and its treatment (Lawrence et al, 2006a;2006b). Others have used semi-structured interviews to examine the experiences of individuals with dementia (Howorth and Saper, 2003;Beattie et al, 2004;Harman and Clare, 2006) or those of their care givers (Murray et al, 1999;Albinsson and Strang, 2003).…”