Relationship Between Selected Old Age Attributes And Mental Health Of The Elderly Living In Retirement Homes In Nairobi City County, Kenya

Abstract

The global population is aging rapidly, leading to an increase in the proportion of elderly individuals. This demographic shift poses significant challenges to mental health, particularly among those living in retirement homes. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline are prevalent among the elderly and are influenced by factors such as social isolation, depression, and psychological distress. The purpose of the study was to establish the Relationship between selected old age attributes and mental health of the elderly living in retirement homes in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study objectives were to establish the relationship between living status and the mental health of elderly citizens in retirement homes in Nairobi County, to determine the relationship between social isolation and the mental health of senior citizens in retirement homes in Nairobi County, to examine the relationship between depression and mental health of senior citizens as well as to find out the relationship between psychological distress and the mental health of senior citizens in retirement homes in Nairobi County. The study used cognitive behavioral therapy, Humanistic-existential theorists, and attribution theory. The study targeted 495 elderly people living in the homes. A sample of 149 individuals of the target population will be considered as 30% of the target population. The researcher the study used primary data collection procedures, and participants was identified by purposive sampling. The structured questionnaire was self-administered to older citizens or their caregivers in situations where the elderly are not able to respond adequately. Skilled research assistants aided in data collection. As a result, the researcher planned appointments with the participants and ensure that sufficient time is given to the elderly and caregivers to respond. The response recorded and transcribed for analysis. Conducting cross-sectional research to gather quantitative data was the first step in this initial phase. With this setup, objective and comprehensive quantitative data gathering from a large sample of Nairobi City County's elderly residents would be possible, ensuring that the qualitative focus group discussion method does not influence the participants' responses. The questionnaire consisted of standardized assessments related to specific research goals. The researcher analyzed and examine the quantitative data collected in this study using regression analysis, correlation analysis, and descriptive statistics. This phase presented an overview of the correlations between the variables and possible patterns and linkages. The findings revealed that there was no statistical significance between living status/lifestyle and mental health. More also the study established that isolation had no significance impact on mental health.. Psychological distress had significant impact on mental health of elderly living in retirement homes in Nairobi. The study therefore recommended that there is the need for the caregivers of the elderly to ensure that old age attributes do not adversely influence mental health of the elderly. Research by Patel et al. (2018) emphasizes the value of community and caregivers contribution in lowering mental health problems in African communities