Relação entre Independência Funcional, Apoio Social e Bem-Estar Subjetivo em idosos institucionalizados

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between functional independence, social support and subjective well-being among the elderly. For that, two studies were performed. Study I was a systematic review of the literature of the last ten years regarding the association between social support and subjective well-being in subjects 60 years of age or older. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten scientific articles composed the final bank. In summary, four types of impacts of social support on subjective well being were observed: (a) direct and positive; (B) direct and negative; (C) direct and mediator; and (d) indirect and mediated. Study II was empirical and evaluated the relationship between functional independence in relation to basic daily life activities, three different types of social support (provided, received and perceived) and the components of subjective well-being (satisfaction with life, positive and negative affects) in a sample of institutionalized elderly people. The sample was non-probabilistic and for convenience, composed of elderly people aged 60 years and over, of both sexes, living in four different philanthropic institutions of Long Stay in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. After exclusion of the subjects with cognitive impairment, 34 subjects participated, of which 14 were men (41.2%) and 20 were women (58.8%). The mean age was 76.24 years (SD = 8.77). Spearman bivariate correlations and path analysis were performed for quantitative data analysis. In general, the results demonstrated that the higher the level of functional independence, the greater the degree of social support and the greater the subjective well-being. Social support showed a direct impact on well-being, besides functioning as a mediating variable in relation to functional independence - subjective well-being