Exploring the Psychosocial Experiences of Older People in Dangila Town
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
7JJe maill objective of this study is to investigate the psychosocial problems of older
people in Dangila town. To this end, case study method was used and in-depth interview
and observation were employed. Data was gathered from eight purposively selected
individual participants and jive key informants. Then the collected data was analyzed
qualitatively. As it was indicated inthejinding, older people are affected by p,lychosocial
prohlems of which low self esteem, high levels of stress, poor and limited social
interaction, poor hal/sing conditions, poor feeding and dressing styles and poor coping
mechanisms are underlined to be the major ones. The problems were indicated by the
fa ct that respondents have been suffering from feelings of loneliness, hopelessness,
complaint, seIF/wtred, inferiority, invisibility , loss of happiness, inaffel1fiveness, sadness,
feelings of insecurity, depression, sleep difficulties, continuous headaches and stomach
upsets, restlessness, anxiety, low appetite, social withdrawal, silence, passivity, scant
interaction (lnd learned helplessness. The problems were reported to he associated with
the loss of income, disease, the death of spouses and siblings, retirement, the lack of
fa mily, kin, community and institutional support, the rising cost of living, individualism
and the youth's changed affitude. It was concluded that older people are not treated as
valuable segments of the cOll1munily. Thus, it was recommended that concel'l1ed
institutions and the community at large should consider them as vital components
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Keywords
Psychosocial Experiences of Older People