Hopelessness in the elderly: a systematic review

Abstract

Thus, the objective of this study is to undertake a systematic review of the literature on the hopelessness in the elderly people to analyze their prevalence and to demonstrate the problems that may be associated with this feeling in this population. Methods This systematic literature review was carried out through the analysis of scientific literature by five researchers about the hopelessness in elderly through the PubMed, LILACs, MEDLINE and SciELO databases during the first semester of 2017. The keywords used were "Elderly" AND "Beck scale" AND "Hopelessness". The inclusion criteria were original articles available in full, without financial costs, published between 2007 and 2017, which addressed the hopelessness in the elderly in Portuguese and English languages. Exclusion criteria were the background approach of hopelessness in elderly people, studies involving another age group beyond the elderly or that did not stratify their results according to the ages, qualitative studies and case reports.

Aging In Teaching: What Does It Bring?

“…The declining physical strength and sensory sensitivity leads to decreased interaction with the social system, increasing preoccupation with the irreversible physical changes occurring in the body and the imminence of death (Lange & Grossman, n. d.). This is consistent with the idea of the Disengagement Theory of Cumming and Henry (1961) which states that society fosters this disengagement by providing fewer opportunities for older adults to participate in the workforce and in social situations (The Psychology of Aging, n. d.) Declining physical health exposes the elderly to greater vulnerability that generates the emotion of hopelessness (Hartmann et al, 2018). Furthermore, the decline in knowledge and skills brought about by aging is rapidly precipitated or reinforced by the mandatory retirement age.…”

Network Analysis Revealed the Role of Helplessness as a Central Feature Among Late-Life Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Stage Dementia

“…The elderly are thought to be particularly vulnerable to helplessness. It can be said that this is related to the sense of failure that occurs more in older age than in youth [ 39 ]. Not only when the elderly have a specific disease, but also in the normal aging process, cognitive ability gradually weakens and function decreases over time.…”

“…Unlike dementia, patients with MCI can live a relatively independent daily life, but their overall cognitive functions such as memory, language ability, and attention-focus are deteriorated compared to others of the same age and educational background. The elderly with MCI experience a sense of helplessness generated by a decrease in physical function, interpersonal relationships, and psychological maladjustment due to aging [ 39 ]. Our study showed that helplessness is the most central symptom of depression in this group by including elderly people with MCI as well as early dementia.…”

Aligning Patient’s Ideas of a Good Life with Medically Indicated Therapies in Geriatric Rehabilitation Using Smart Sensors

“…Due to their advanced age, it is likely that many older adults have accepted their mobility restrictions and adapted their treatment expectations accordingly. Furthermore, some older adults may have a low sense of self-worth [6] and find their situation hopeless [7], which may make the patient information process and adherence to long-term rehabilitation therapies particularly challenging. Older adults who may not be able to care for themselves and for others, nor participate in the activities they value, may have difficulties in accepting their position of dependence, particularly in cases where they personally feel that they cannot reciprocate in any meaningful way.…”