Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing 2003;5(1):50-60.

만성통증을 경험하는 탁노소 노인의 통증, 우울 및 자아통합감간의 관계

김수영, 김명애

Abstract

This research was a descriptive correlation study to test the relationship of chronic pain, depression and ego-integrity in elderly people who have chronic pain. The participants in this study were 65 elderly people who had continuous pain for more than 6 months due to chronic disease or injuries. The data were collected from people attending 3 day care centers in M and C city. The research was done from April to May 2001. The instruments for this study were the Numeric rating scale for pain, the Korean form of geriatric depression scale (Jung et al., 1997) and the ego integrity measurement tool developed by Kim( 1988). The data were analyzed using frequencies, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient with the SPSS/PC 10.0 program. The results of this study are as follows. The mean perceived pain score was 6.63±1.45 with a range of 4 to 9. General characteristics related to pain were types of disease(F=2.848, p=0.023) and marital status(F=4.317, p=0.018). The mean perceived depression score was 17.17±3.32 with a range of 10 to 25. The general characteristic related to depression was monthly income(F=3.225 p=0.047). The mean ego integrity score was 85.62±14.83 with a range of 46 to 121. The general characteristic related to ego integrity was monthly income (F= 5.508. p= 0.009). The result of analysis of the relationships of pain, depression, and ego integrity showed a significant positive correlation(r= .223. p<0.05) between pain and depression. There was a significant negative correlation(p=-.228, p<0.05) between pain and ego integrity and also a significant negative correlation(r=-.476, p<0.001) between depression and ego integrity On the basis of this study, when developing nursing interventions consideration must be given to psychological state such as depression as well as pain in elders with chronic pain. Physical and psychological problems such as pain and depression are obstacles in ego integrity formation, which is the development task for senescence. These problems in elders usually lead to depression with further withering of senescence. Economic difficulties and solitary life of day care centers especially add to these problems. Therefore, development of nursing intervention that can contribute to health promotion in elderly people in day care centers requires consideration of these psychosocial relationships.

Key words: 만성통증, 우울, 자아통합감