HUBUNGAN DISTRESS PSIKOLOGIS DENGAN RISIKO DEMENSIA PADA LANSIA DI PANTI JOMPO

Introduction: The number of elderly people continues to increase, accompanied by a high prevalence of dementia. One factor contributing to the decline in cognitive function in the elderly is psychological distress, characterized by symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. Prolonged psychological distress can accelerate cognitive impairment through increased stress hormones and changes in brain structure, thereby increasing the risk of dementia, especially in elderly people living in nursing homes.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between psychological distress and the risk of dementia in elderly people living in nursing homes.
Methods: This study used a quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach. The sample was determined using a purposive sampling technique, with 108 elderly people living at the Griya Lansia Khusnul Khotimah Nursing Home in Malang. The instruments used were the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to measure psychological distress and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-Ina) to assess dementia risk. The relationship between variables was analyzed using the Spearman Rank correlation test with a significance level of 0.05.
Results: Most elderly people experienced mild to moderate psychological distress, and more than half of the respondents were in the mild to severe cognitive impairment category. Statistical test results indicate a significant association between psychological distress and dementia risk (p < 0.05), with a positive correlation.
Conclusions: There is a relationship between psychological distress and dementia risk in elderly residents of nursing homes. High levels of psychological distress contribute to cognitive decline, necessitating psychosocial support and mental health interventions to prevent the progression of dementia in the elderly.