Abstract

This study aims at knowing old age problems especially for those living at elderly homes and extending counseling services to the vast and new field of geriatrics in Iran. In this study 120 old people who lived at governmental and private elderly homes in Tehran, Iran were randomly enrolled and studied using SCL90 and Beck Depression Inventory. The results-showed that signs of depression and somatization disorders were the most common ones among the elderly in elderly homes. In all studied clinical scales, the rate of psychological symptoms was more among women than men. The most important worries of the elderly were economic status, social relations, dissatisfaction with old age, lack of favorite activities and their family members' treatment. Since living at an elderly home means staying away from family support and that it is considered reproachable, attending to psychological and emotional needs of the elderly home residents is essential. © 2009 Asian Network for Scientific Information.