DETECTION AND CARE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDs) IN ELDERLY ADULTS IN A HEALTHCARE INSTITUTION IN MEXICO CITY: PRESENCE OF EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS, INTERVENTION OF TWO MODELS OF CARE FOR NCDS, CONTRIBUTIONS OF PSYCHOGERIATRICS TO MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS POPULATION

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.5585122530098

• Palavras-chave: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), older adults, Study on Living Conditions and Mental Health in Older Adults (COVYSMAM-LJ), Health Center in Mexico City, Obesity Care Model-Module (MAO),

• Keywords: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), older adults, Study on Living Conditions and Mental Health in Older Adults (COVYSMAM-LJ), Health Center in Mexico City, Obesity Care Model-Module (MAO),

• Abstract:

  Objectives: To analyze and describe information on NCDs in people aged 60 and over who attend a Health Center (HC) in Mexico City, captured in the study "Living Conditions and Mental Health in Older Adults (COVYSMAM-LJ, Phase II), which includes procedures in two models of care for this population by the responsible health personnel and NCDs in the context of psychogeriatrics. Methods: A random record was obtained from the population of older adults who attend the HC. From this record, a convenience sample was taken by applying the questionnaire "Living Conditions and Mental Health in Older Adults" through face-to-face interviews. Results: The main reasons why people aged 60 and over attend the Health Center are the "control" of hypertension, diabetes, or both conditions (43.9%), with emotional symptoms detected in 52.6%, in contrast to two other identified causes of attendance. The main demographic characteristics are presented, including data from sections and items specifically selected from the instrument that inquire about self-reported living conditions and perception of health status in the context of NCDs. Discussion: In accordance with reports issued by international organizations and sources of information such as the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, among others, which indicate that noncommunicable diseases are important causes of morbidity, mortality, and disability in various populations worldwide, being most prevalent in the elderly population. In the present study, we found that among the main conditions for which older adults visit the health center are chronic degenerative and disabling problems, notably hypertension and diabetes, which are referred to in the self-report as visiting the institution to carry out the "control" of their chronic conditions, a fact that implies a position of "self-care and concern for their health status," which entail emotional symptoms and the implication of two models of care for their health conditions and the relationship between mental health and NCDs, from the point of view of psychogeriatrics.