Empathy in the nurse-patient relationship in the geriatric care setting is an important ethical aspect that contributes to the quality of the practice of nursing. The present findings indicate the need for more robust assessment tools with adequate psychometric properties and the descriptive analysis of empathy.

The increase in life expectancy and the percentage increase in the older population are related to the reduction in quality of life and social life due to the biopsychosocial changes inherent to the aging process. The present study aimed to verify scientific evidence on the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms among older adults. An integrative review was carried out using the following databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL and PyscINFO, applying the descriptors indexed in the Mesh Terms and DeCS “aged”, “loneliness”, “depression”. The PICOS strategy was used to prepare the title and guiding question and the PRISMA methodological guidelines were used to write the report of this review. A total of 827 articles were identified, of which 23 were selected, 16 from the database and seven through a reverse search. Loneliness and depression have some characteristics in common, so that when one of these conditions develops in older adults, another is stimulated. Thus, loneliness is a major risk factor for the development of depression, just as depression is an aggravating factor for loneliness in older adults.

Objective: To identify depressive symptoms in older adults treated in primary care. Method: A descriptive-exploratory cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 260 older adults registered with Family Health Units in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. A sociodemographic instrument and the Geriatric Abridged Depression Scale (GDS-15) were applied. Descriptive analysis summarized the variables through percentages and number of participants. Results: There was a prevalence of older adults aged 60-70 years (n=154; 59.2%), who were female (n=186; 71.5%) and had a low educational level (n=89; 34.2%). The GDS-15 revealed that 195 (75.0%) of the older adults had no depressive symptoms. It was observed that 219 (84.2%) older adults were satisfied with their lives, 198 (76.1%) felt happy most of the time, 194 (74.6%) were in a good mood most of the time, 236 (90.8%) reported feeling hope in their lives and 248 (95.4%) mentioned feeling that it was wonderful to be alive. In addition, 135 (51.9%) older adults preferred to go out rather than stay at home, 180 (69.2%) felt full of energy, and 226 (86.9%) considered themselves useful people, although 112 older adults (43.0%) had interrupted many of their activities and 141 (54.2%) feared that something bad would happen. Conclusion: Primary Health Care is responsible for the screening of depressive symptoms in older adults to implement actions to protect and promote the health of this population. It is a guiding strategy of the care process, aimed at stimulating active aging and autonomy, as well as the prevention of health problems. This study contributes to reflections on the importance of public policies and good practices in the care of older adults.

Este livre reúne profissionais de regiões brasileiras diversas, que tiveram a oportunidade de cursar um programa de doutorado juntos, e que após dez anos de doutoramento se debruçaram na construção de uma obra científica abordando diversos sabres em seus campos de pesquisa. Para essa construção convidaram outros pesquisadores e discentes de pós-graduação e graduação. O prefácio é de Maria Cristina Guilam e Maria Helena Barros, FIOCRUZ.

Depression in elderly people with chronic wounds treated at the Skin Commission. Rev baiana enferm. 2022; 36:e45878 Objective: Verify the occurrence of depressive symptoms in the elderly with chronic wounds. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 40 elderly people at a University Hospital, using the Geriatric Depression Scale and a structured questionnaire with sociodemographic, clinical variables, lesion characteristics and a brief history of mental health. Results: There was a predominance of females (72.5%), brown (50.0%), Catholic (65.0%), married (50.0%), with incomplete primary education (55.0%), retired (92.5%), income between 1 and 2 minimum wages (62.5%), metabolic diseases (55.0%) and cardiac diseases (25.0%). The wounds were 55.0% venous ulcers, of which 85.0% are in the lower limb. Regarding the Scala scores, 40.0% presented symptoms suggestive of Depression. The elderly with venous wounds and located in the lower limb presented higher score of the depression median. Conclusion: Venous ulcers of the leg was a risk factor for the occurrence of Depression, which occurred in half of the elderly surveyed.