A DEPRESSÃO EM IDOSOS E O CUIDADO DE ENFERMAGEM NA PROMOÇÃO DA SAÚDE MENTAL DO IDOSO

It is currently essential that health professionals, especially nurses, are trained to treat, prevent and intervene early in cases of depression in the elderly, promoting the emotional well-being and quality of life of these patients. Factors such as loneliness, social isolation and specific limitations can affect the mental health of this niche population. It is therefore essential that health professionals adopt an integrated approach to caring for the elderly, considering not only their physical conditions, but also their mental and emotional health. To this end, the general objective of this academic production is to investigate how professional nurses can participate in the process of promoting the emotional health of elderly patients, by carrying out an integrative review that was carried out in the selection of 08 articles for analysis. It is concluded that within the disorders that affect the elderly, depression deserves special attention, as it presents an increasing prevalence in society, generating negative consequences for quality of life. Nurses need to be alert and prepared to detect signs of depression before they cause harm to the elderly person's quality of life.