Social Psychiatry, Vol. 44 No. 4, 2016.
Professional paper
The frequency of psychiatric assistance requests of elderly persons during Homeland War, the peaceful period and the economic crisis
Marija Vučić Peitl
orcid.org/0000-0002-2865-4140
; Rijeka University Hospital Center, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia
Pere Krmpotić
; Rijeka University Hospital Center, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia
Joško Prološčić
; Rijeka University Hospital Center, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia
Fadil Habibović
; Rijeka University Hospital Center, Department of Psychiatry, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Persons of elderly age, according to the classification of the World Health Organization, are all persons
older than 65 years of age, who are more vulnerable to the influence of different stresses. Our goal was to
investigate the influence of different stresses, the Homeland War and the economic crisis, on the detection
of mental disorders in persons of elderly age. Our results showed that persons of elderly age were most
likely to request psychiatric assistance during the economic crisis, and least likely during the Homeland War.
There was no statistically significant difference in suicide attempts between the three tested periods. In the
period of Homeland War, all elderly persons that tryed suicide, later received a diagnosis from the group of
organic psychic disorders and disorders and dementia, which was the most common follow up diagnosis,
both in peaceful periods and in the period of economic crisis. The stress of economic crisis brings economic
unsafety and uncertainty, and represents a stronger stress factor for mental disturbances in persons of
elderly age, than exposure to war stress. In conclusion, the results of this study could indicate the need to
strenghten the prevention of psychic disturbances in persons of elderly age during an economic crisis by
active inclusion of family members, the family doctor, home care services, social care, religious and cultural
communities and other competent institutions.
Keywords
persons of elderly age; mental disorders; social stresses
Hrčak ID:
174632
URI
Publication date:
5.12.2016.
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