Depression in the Elderly: A Descriptive Study of Urban and Semi-Urban Greek Population

Depression in the elderly is the most common mental disorder in old age. The aging of the population is an important public health issue which significantly affects the welfare and quality of life for both the individuals and their families. It is estimated that the geriatric depression rates will i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of caring sciences 2017-09, Vol.10 (3), p.1286-1295
Main Authors: Babatsikou, Fotoula, Konsolaki, Eleni, Notara, Venetia, Kouri, Marianna, Zyga, Sofia, Koutis, Charilaos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Antidepressants
Geriatrics
Health care policy
Medical screening
Mens health
Mental depression
Mortality
Nursing care
Older people
Population
Psychiatry
Public health
Quality of life
Rural areas
Studies
Suicides & suicide attempts
Systematic review
Womens health
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Depression in the elderly is the most common mental disorder in old age. The aging of the population is an important public health issue which significantly affects the welfare and quality of life for both the individuals and their families. It is estimated that the geriatric depression rates will increase resulting in financial demands increase on the health care system and financial burden at the local or national level. The study aims to examine the prevalence of depressive symptomatology among the elderly in urban and semi-urban Greek population and investigate risk and protective factors for the disorder. The sample consisted of 300 subjects (171 women and 129 men), aged >60 years, members of the Open Care Centers for Older People (OCCFOP; KAPI in Greek) of Prefectures of Attica (Municipality of Agios Dimitrios) and Fokida, during July-December 2012 period. A questionnaire for demographic data was administered and depression was evaluated using the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-15), which has been standardized in Greek elderly population. Results demonstrate that 84.3% of the sample shows depressive symptoms (79.9% moderate and 5.03% severe depression). Depressive symptomatology appears to be more common prevalent among the elderly living in Athens compared those living in semi-urban areas (24% difference in both sexes). Moreover, it was observed that the sex (B= -0.131, 95% CI 0.394-0.656, p=0.035) and the smoking status (B= -0.181, 95% CI 0.505-0.867, p=0.010) were negatively associated with depressive symptomatology in individuals who live Athens. The high rates of depressive symptomatology demonstrates the need for a strong social support network as an effective intervention to prevent depression and promote healthy aging.
ISSN:1791-5201
1792-037X