Clinico-social structure of geriatric mentally ill patients living alone or with their families

Abstract

To determine the differences in the clinico-social structure of geriatric mentally ill patients a survey was conducted of 235 patients aged 60 and over living alone and 513 patients living with their relatives who were followed up at the psychoneurological dispensary. The study involved the use of clinical and sociological methods. Comparison was made of demographic indices (sex, age), social conditions (educational level, living facilities, financial security, disability, employment) and clinical indicators(somatic state, underlying psychopathological syndrome, nosological form of disease).The following significant differences emerged from the study: among patients living alone more often to be seen were women (78,7% and 60,4%), presenile patients (53,6% and 43,3%), patients in the lower income bracket (49,4% and 30,4%); employed (28% and 12,9%);patients with schizophrenia (2,1% and 28,1%) and exogenic-organic diseases (12,8% and 6%) ; patients with paranoid (26,4% and 15,8%) and psychopathy-like (16,6% and 6,4%) symptomatology and there were fewer patients with vascular (24,3% and 31,6%) and endogenic-organic (atrophic) diseases (2,1% and 16,4%)and patients with dementia (6% and 27,9%). The group of single patients is more homogeneous in structure: there is a narrow spectrum of nosological forms and syndromic manifestations; it is more homogeneous in a demographic and social context. The group of patients living with relatives is more heterogeneous: there is a broader spectrum of mental disorders and greater variability of social and demographical indices is observed.