J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs.  2012 Sep;23(3):276-285. 10.12799/jkachn.2012.23.3.276.

Depression Health Literacy and Help-seeking Intention of the Aged Receiving Customized Home Visiting Health Care Services

• Oh DN
• Lee JY

• KMID: 2292794
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2012.23.3.276

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to understand levels of both mental health literacy of depression and intention of help-seeking, and then to identify the relationship of them in Korean older adults.
METHODS
Participants in this cross-sectional survey were 395 persons over 65 years old receiving customized home visiting health care services at Chungnam province. Data were collected through interviews by visiting nurses in 2011.
RESULTS
The proportion of participants with depression was 61.8% (6.7+/-3.6). 78.2% of subjects appeared to have help-seeking intention for solving depression. The proportions of participants with ability to recognize depression was 69.1%. Although the level about knowledge and belief in self-help interventions were varied according to questionnaires, subjects understood self-help intervention of smoking accurately (86.3%) and physical activity (85.5%). Ability to recognize depression, knowledge and belief about self-help managements, and opinion of medication for treatment among health literacy variables measured in this study were related to help-seeking intention. In addition, women, visual impairment, and lower depression scores were related to help-seeking intention.
CONCLUSION
Results demonstrate that it is necessary to improve depression health literacy to manage effectively depression of vulnerable elderly in communities. These results could be used in developing mental health literacy programs.

Keyword

Aged; Depression; Health literacy; Intention

MeSH Terms

Aged
Community Health Nursing
Cross-Sectional Studies
Delivery of Health Care
Depression
Female
Health Literacy
House Calls
Humans
Intention
Mental Health
Motor Activity
Smoke
Smoking
Vision Disorders
Surveys and Questionnaires
Smoke

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