Identification of Perceived Stress and Stressors along with Coping Strategies Adopted by Elderly Persons in selected Old Age Homes of Kolkata, West Bengal

Anita Paul (Samanta)

Abstract: Abstract: Elderly people are suffering from stress for various reasons which need to be taken care for betterment of healthy living. An investigation was conducted with the objectives to identify the stress and stressors perceived by elderly persons based on Lazarus and Folkman?s Conceptual framework. Data was collected from 100 respondents aged 60-85 years were selected by stratified random sampling technique from five old age homes at Kolkata. A standardized Perceived Stress Scale to assess stress and a prepared and validated interview schedule for identifying stressors were used to collect data. The present study revealed that majority (60%) of the participants had experienced moderate level of stress, 65% of the elderly persons had perceived moderate stressors specifically health and activity was perceived more threatening. Religion, planning and self destruction were the more frequently used coping strategies. Statistically significant relationship were found between perceived stress and stressors[?t?df(98)=6.45, p<0.001], stress and coping strategies[?t?df(98)=2.64, p<0.01], stress and income [?t?df(88)=2.30, p<0.05], stressors and gender of the respondents [??2?df(1)=6.182, p<0.05], stressors and income [?t?df(88)=4.02, p<0.001], coping strategies and age of the respondents [?t?df(98)=3.11, p<0.01] as well as coping strategies and marital status of the respondents [??2?df(2)=7.68, p<0.05].

Keywords: Key words: Stress, Stressors, coping strategies, Elderly persons and Old age home.