Abstract

The authors studied depression, using Zung's self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), in the subjects of 65 males and 231 females at the homes for the aged in Taegu and Kyong-buk areas. The authors collected the date of SDS during the period from June to August, 1986, and applied ANOVA and t-test on the depression scores in order to compare them between various psychosocial factors and sexes. The results could be summarized as follow: There was significantly difference in the mean average of total depression scores between the two groups: elderly males scored 38.80±11.92, elderly females scored 43.21±14.33 (p<0.05). The depression scores in the items of hopelessness, personal devaluation, weight loss, emptiness and confusion were relatively higher than the scores in the other items in both groups. Nine elderly males (16%) showed seriously high depression scores of 50 and over, while fourth-seven elderly females (33%) showed the same scores. Among these psychosocial factors, age, birth place, and growing place are significantly related to higher depression scores in both groups.