PURPOSE: This study has aimed to examine the relationship among self-esteem, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and depression reported by hospitalized elderly patients with chronic diseases. METHODS: A descriptive correlation study by means of a self-report questionnaire or face-to-face interview was used to collect data from 119 elderly patients who were hospitalized in a General Hospital from January 5 to February 25, 2010. Their levels of depression was measured using Short-Form Geriatric Depression Scale, self esteem using Jeon's, and activities of daily living using K-ADL. RESULTS: 80.7% of the subjects experienced depression. Depression correlates with self-esteem (r=-.67) and ADL (r=.45). The influencing factors on depression were self-esteem, ADL, subjective health status, and family support satisfaction (R2=.57), while self esteem in itself explained 45% of variance in depression. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate the importance of early detection of depression, which starts from the admission of patients and the continuing evaluation/management in daily life after discharge to ensure their well-being and quality of life. The development of program empowering self esteem, ADL and subjective health status with adequate family support during hospitalization and in daily life is indispensible.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Dietary Sucrose ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Self Concept ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires