The concept of depression includes clinical conditions whose main disorder concerns mood or affect. Traditionally, this group includes depressive disorders, mania and submaniacal states, and anxiety disorders. A light form of depression is often unrecognized. The person feels chronic fatigue, weariness and discouragement to life. Depression caused by reactive factors is manifested by a smaller number of psychosomatic symptoms. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) report, by 2020 depression may become the second largest health risk after cardiovascular disease. The clinical picture of depression is dominated primarily by the depressed mood, which is felt by the patient as a state of gloom, resignation, and sadness. The patient is unable to experience joy, happiness and satisfaction. Anhedonia appears, or inability to feel any pleasures. A separate problem is the recognition of depression in the elderly age, when symptoms characteristic to depression are very often considered a normal manifestation of the body aging or as an inherent element of the somatic disease. Currently, it is estimated that as many as 40% of cases of depression in people over 65 remain undiagnosed.

Cieľom príspevku je opísať nefarmakologickú liečbu a možnosti jej využitia u seniorov v domácej a ústavnej liečbe.

The key symptom of depression is lowering the mood, but this is not the only sign of depression. Depression is a disease in which the symptoms reach various intensities and occur in many configurations. We distinguish the following types of depression: reactive, endogenous, neurotic, anankastic, agitated, large and small, morning (subclinical and subliminal), seasonal, masked, psychotic, postpartum, drug resistant, in children and adolescents, in the elderly, involutional, organic , in bipolar disorder, dysthymia, depression and anxiety, and in somatic diseases. Psychotherapy is now a popular and effective method of treating depression. The effects of treatment after the use of antidepressants appear only after a few weeks from the beginning of therapy. Old-generation medicines: these are tricyclic antidepressants (TLPDs), inhibitors of neuromediator reuptake and monoamine oxidase enzyme (IMAO) inhibitors. The new generation of drugs is distinguished by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), four-ring drugs, noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, selective reversible MAO inhibitors, and drugs with other mechanisms of action. Phototherapy (treatment of light) is currently a widely accepted method of winter depression therapy. Other treatments for depression include electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Introduction: The aim of this research is to find coping strategies for dealing with stress among caregivers who look after a chronically ill family member and to assess which of the most common emotions they are experiencing.Methods: We used a standard 28-item questionnaire Brief COPE (Carver, 1997) with Likert scale with values of 6-1 and standardized Variety habitual emotional, subjective well-being in this study (Džuka, Dalbert, 2002). The questionnaire was distributed by nurses who care for ill relatives in the  Home Care Agency. We used descriptive statistical methods.Results:  Exploratory data includes answers from 30 respondents, who were caregivers of a patient  with chronic illness at home. The average age of respondents was 66.3 years + 4,5, ranged between 56 and 71 years old. Concerning the custodies, these were the most often the  life partners - husband / wife (63 %). The average length of treatment was half a year - year (27 %). Top active strategies for coping with stress were: planning, instrumental social support, acceptance, religiosity, emotional support, with the average  from 4,65 to 4,27. The least used coping strategies were humor and drug use. Respondents experienced more frequent  negative than positive emotions - pain with average 4,30, sadness 4,24,  fear 4.23,Conclusion:  The study shows that the caregivers can select an active strategy to help them overcome difficulties while taking  care of the sick.  When assessing emotional survival, we found out that respondents had negative emotions.

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