GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

This study investigated the extent to which psycho-demographic variables as predictors of depressive reactions among elderly widows in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. Four research questions and four corresponding hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research design for this study was correlational design. The estimated population for this study was 5,200 elderly widows in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. This estimation was because as at the time of this study there was no accurate figure in any government department housing the population of elderly widows in Rivers State. The sample size of this study comprised 420 elderly widows. Purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study. Two instruments titled: “Psycho-Demographic Variables Scale” (PDVS) and “Depressive Reactions Scale” (DRS) was used for data collection. The instruments (PDVS) and (DRS) were validated based on face and content validities by experts. Cronbach alpha reliability statistics was used to compute the general reliability coefficient of (PDVS) to be 0.77 and (DRS) to be 0.80. Simple regression was used to answer research question 1-4 and their corresponding hypotheses was also tested at 0.05 Alpha level of significance. The findings of the study show that: family financial background, loneliness, self-esteem, anxiety significantly predicted depressive reactions among elderly widows in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State independently taken. Based on the findings of this study conclusion, recommendations and implications for counselling were made.