Coping with Symptoms of Depression: A Descriptive Survey of Community-Dwelling Elders

This study describes the manifestation of depression among community-dwelling elders, addressing symptoms experienced, coping strategies used, and the relative effectiveness of each strategy as perceived by the elders themselves. A modified version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was administered to a random sample of 91 elders living in the community. The most common symptoms reported were sleep disturbance and lack of energy. The absence of pleasure, while relatively uncommon, posed a significant challenge to seniors' coping abilities. Among the coping strategies examined, respondents reported using diversion or distraction most often, followed by problem-solving and persistence. In this sample, most reported coping effectively with the symptoms they experienced. They reported that problem solving was the most effective coping strategy, and the few who relied on spiritual approaches also cited high effectiveness.