Stress, loneliness, and depression in Taiwanese rural community-dwelling elders

Jing Jy Wang, Mariah Snyder, Merrie Kaas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the stressors and stress levels, loneliness, and depression experienced by Taiwanese rural elders and determine if differences in the level of stress were associated with specific person-environmental characteristics. The relationship between stress and depression was also explored. A total of 201 older rural community residents participated in the study. Findings showed that rural elders experienced a number of stressors related to health and family issues. Differences in the degree of stressfulness of individuals differed by gender, educational level, living arrangement, and socioeconomic status (SES). Findings in this study also showed that there was a high association among stress level, depressive symptoms, and mood status. The findings of this study will assist community health policy-makers in determining the need for health-related services for rural elders experiencing these problems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)339-347
Number of pages9
JournalInternational Journal of Nursing Studies
Volume38
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2001

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by Zeta Chapter Sigma Theta Tau International Research Grant.

Copyright:
Copyright 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Depression
  • Loneliness
  • Stress
  • Taiwanese

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