Sofrimento e sintomas percebidos como depressivos entre mulheres idosas de Feira de Santana-BA

Abstract

The way elderly women deal with suffering and experience the symptoms of depression affects everyday life. The Community Centers are presented as sources of support, care and health promotion for this specific group, promoting contributory actions for active and healthy aging. This research aimed to analyze the meaning of suffering and the symptoms described or diagnosed as depressive in elderly women attending a community center for the elderly. The qualitative study sought to understand the life trajectories and the meaning of depression for 12 elderly women, aged between 60 and 85 years old, participating in the Domingos Mincarone Community Center, from the Antônio Gasparini Institute in Feira de Santana, Bahia, an entity committed to health promotion in the elderly. The methodology used in the study was qualitative research with a theoretical approach to Anthropology. Observations and interviews were carried out in situations associated with losses, gender relations and male domination, marked by episodes of violence, which were evidenced from different meanings and perspectives, according to their life experiences. The results showed that there is no single or standard concept for naming depressive symptoms, but they functioned as a language in the face of suffering and the changes present in the aging process.