Funcionalidad familiar y depresión en el adulto mayor. Revisión sistemática

Abstract

Background: Depression in the elderly is presented as an important cause of morbidity and mortality, having a considerable prevalence worldwide and a relevant association with the degree of family functionality. Objectives: To describe the relationship between family functionality and depression in the elderly. Methods: Observational study, systematic review, the Check List PRISMA method was used to choose the publications that meet the selection criteria, in which search engines such as Pubmed, Scopus, Latindex, Scielo and Hindawi were used, taking into account articles between the last 5 years with quartiles one to four, using the PICO strategy. Results: 14 publications were considered, which at a general level indicated an average frequency of depression of 34.2% and 29.1% for dysfunctional families. In relation to family functionality, most of the authors stated that family support is an element that can be protective or incident to depression. For family functionality and reducing the risk of depression, it is important to maintain a united family, support and good communication. Conclusions: The selected documents detail a high frequency of depression, which is linked to the level of family support received and both mental and emotional well-being of the elderly. Limitations: Variability in the methodology of the studies, many studies did not report family functionality as part of the evaluation of the elderly.