The self-management experiences of older persons with depression

Abstract

This phenomenological research aimed to describe self-management experiences in older persons with depression at Mental Health Clinic, Maetha Hospital, Lampang Province. Purposive sampling was used to select 11 older persons with depression who had no psychiatric illness. In-depth interviews were used for data collection. The validations of the accuracy of the information included credibility, dependability, confirm ability, and transferability. The content analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that the participants reflected the experiences of self-management in older persons with depression in five themes: 1) living for oneself and their offspring, 2) using medications to relieve symptoms, 3) seeking for mental dependence, 4) receiving help from others, and 5) creating self-value. The results of this study provide important information for families of older persons with depression, professional nurses, and health personnel to understand the meanings of self-management based on the experiences of older persons with depression and use the data to plan comprehensive care for older persons with depression.