Status Mental Dengan Kemampuan Interaksi Sosial Pada Lanjut Usia

The human life cycle is a process of growth and development physically and mentally. Physical and mental changes in the elderly occur due to degenerative processes, so that there will be limitations in activities, memory and speaking abilities. The existence of these limitations, affects social interactions with other people which tend to be reduced and passive. Decreased social interaction in the elderly can cause a sense of isolation, feeling useless, so that the elderly tend to be alone. This Study aimed to identify the association between mental status and soscial interaction capacity among the elderly. This research used correlational with a cross sectional design. Data were obtained from SPMSQ and social interaction capacity elderly questionnaire. The study used a sample of 91 respondents, with a simple random sampling technique. Data analysis used Spearman rho test. The results showed that the majority (57,1%) of the elderly had minor intellectual impairment, and most (5,.9%) of the elderly had moderate social interaction skills. The results of the Spearman test p=0,001 and r=0,353, meaning that there is a relationship between mental status and the social interaction ability of the elderly, the strength of the correlation is moderate and the correlation is positive. The conclusion of this study is that there is a significant relationship between mental status and the social interaction skills of the elderly. Keywords: mental status; social interaction; elderly