Stress-management methods of the community-dwelling elderly in Hong Kong: implications for tailoring a stress-reduction program.

This study aims to explore the preferences of the elderly in adopting five stress-management methods and to identify the reasons for nonadoption. A convenience sample of 212 community-dwelling elders age 60 or older was obtained from four multiservice centers for the elderly in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that the elderly prefer to manage stress on their own rather than rely on social support from family, friends, and professionals. The notion of saving face in the Chinese culture and an inadequate supply of social support are possible explanations why the elderly do not like to seek help from others to reduce stress. This study offers a model for a stress-reduction program for community-dwelling elderly people in Hong Kong to enhance their ability to cope with stress.