A study on the effects of sexual perception of the elderly on their mental health Jun Hong-Ja1, Park Sung-Joo2,* 1Student Department of Psychotherapy & Counseling. Gimcheon University, Korea 2Professor, Department of Psychotherapy & Counseling. Gimcheon University, Korea *Corresponding Author: Sung-Joo Park Professor, Department of Psychotherapy & Counseling, Gimcheon University, Korea Email: loadpsj@gimcheon.ac.kr
Online published on 16 October, 2018. Abstract Background/Objectives The purpose of this study is to contribute to the improvement of life and the happiness of the elderly's life by promoting healthy sexual life of the elderly by examining the relationship between sex recognition and mental health of the elderly.. Method/Statistical Analysis Based on the necessity of this study, 222 elderly people aged 65 years or older residing in Gimcheon area, Korea were surveyed conducting 222 valid questionnaires for the elderly who use the elderly general welfare center, elderly university and elderly people's culture center. Questionnaires were used as survey tools and the background variables were categorized gender, age, educational background, religion, occupation, residence type, pocket money, living level, marital relationship, and health status. Sex perception was classified into sex life desire, sex life attitude, and sex life importance rate. Psychological well being, self esteem, and stress were analyzed as mental health variables.. Findings The results of this study are as follows First, in order to analyze the effect of sex perception on mental health, it was found that sex life needs had a statistically significant effect on psychological well-being, and sex life importance rate also had a significant effect on the psychological well-being. Sex life attitude was not significant. The higher the perceived importance of sex life needs and sex life importance rate of elderly people, the better psychological well being means. The results of analyzing the effects of sexual perception on self-esteem showed that sex attitude and sex life importance rate had a statistically significant effect, but it was not significant in sex life desire. In other words, it can be interpreted that the higher the perception of the sex life attitude and the sex life importance of the elderly, the higher self esteem. As a result of analyzing the effects of sexual perception on stress, sex life needs, sex life attitude, and sex life importance rate did not have statistically significant effects. The results of this study were statistically significant for the analysis of the effects of the sexual perception of the elderly on mental health. In other words, higher sex awareness can be interpreted as having an impact on mental health. Thus, it is necessary to recognize that healthy sexual perception of the elderly is a necessary condition for a healthy elderly life. In addition, the perception of the sex of the elderly affects the mental health. Therefore, in order to increase the perception of the sex of the elderly, the knowledge, education and welfare of the elderly need to be supported by social and institutional devices.. Improvements/Applications The result of this study suggests that the satisfied and healthy sex of the old age would be achieved and the social perception of sex in the old age will be positively illuminated. Top Keywords The eldery, sexual perception, mental well being, self esteem, stress. Top |