World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG GERIATRIC CLIENTS

M. Ramya Rathi Devi* and Sharmila S.

ABSTRACT

Stress has been identified as a 20th century disease and has been viewed as a complex and dynamic transaction between individuals and their environments. The effects of stress are directly linked to coping. Geriatric clients may present stress symptoms due to physical, psychological and social changes during aging process. Statement of the problem: A study to assess the level of stress and coping strategies among geriatric clients at selected community, Kancheepuram district. Objectives: To assess and correlate the level of stress and coping strategies among geriatric clients and to associate the level of stress and coping strategies with their demographic variables. Materials and Methods: Research approach was quantitative and research design was descriptive research design.50 geriatric clients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected by non-probability convenient sampling technique. The tool used for the data collection comprises of 3 sections: Section A - Demographic variables; Section B - Standardized 5- point rating Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess the level of stress and Section C - 3 point rating scale to assess the level of coping strategies. Data collected were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The analysis revealed that 31 (62%) geriatric clients have mild stress; 19 (38%) clients have moderate stress and none of them have severe stress. The analysis revealed that 18 (36%) geriatric clients have moderately adequate level of coping; 32 (64%) have adequate level of coping and none of them have inadequate level of coping. The analysis depicts that there is no co – relation (r = 0.142) between the level of stress and coping strategies. Conclusion: Most of them had mild stress and adequate coping level. So the investigator helped them to cope up with any stressful situations through an educational approach.

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