THE EFFECTS OF SUPPORTIVE TOUCH ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AMONG FEMALE RESIDENTS OF A NURSING HOME.
Contributors: University of Missouri--Kansas City.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 92
Subjects: Psychology, General.
Description: Reduced sensory stimulation and interpersonal touch have been suggested as causes of withdrawal and depression in the elderly. This study investigated the effects of supportive touch on depression and anxiety among female nursing home residents, as measured by change scores on self and staff ratings, and by changes in voluntary activity.

The subjects, 53 women aged 65 or older, were divided into two dysphoria levels (low and high), and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (touch/reading, reading, and control). Touch/reading and reading participants met individually with young female readers for four bi-weekly sessions. Touch/reading participants received touches to hand, arm, or shoulder on a progressive schedule, in addition to the reading and comments offered to members of both groups.

Dependent measures, administered to all participants before and after the series of readings, included anxiety, depression, hostility, and dysphoria scores from the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List; scores on the Nurses' observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation--depression factor; and level of voluntary activity. Change scores were analyzed in a series of 3 x 2 (treatment x classification) factorial analyses of variance. Effects of demographic characteristics were also analyzed in a series of analyses of covariance. A probability level of .05 was used to determine statistical significance.

Both the touch/reading and reading groups showed significant decreases in self-reported depression and dysphoria as compared to the control group. However, these differences were not seen on staff ratings or on levels of activity. Also, there were no significant differences between the touch/reading and reading groups on any of the measures. No significant interaction effects were found. The effect of classification on change scores, after assessing the effects of the demographic characteristics, was significant only on voluntary activity levels. Low dysphoria subjects increased their activities; high dysphoria subjects decreased theirs. Significant covariates included length of stay and education. Shorter stays and less formal education were associated with decreases in anxiety, depression, and dysphoria. No significant effects were found for age, race, or type of care.

Related literature was reviewed and suggestions offered for future research.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-03, Section: B, page: 0993.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - KANSAS CITY, 1984.

School code: 0134.