Incidence of Depression Among Community Dwelling Healthy Elderly and the Predisposing Socio-environmental Factors

Introduction The average life expectancy is increasing with better medical facilities and evolving technology. The ratio of the geriatric population is increasing, which drives a need to invest more in the physical and psychological health of older people. The aim of this study was to assess the inc...

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Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2019-03, Vol.11 (3), p.e4292-e4292
Main Authors: Fatima, Maham, Sehar, Alina, Ali, Maha, Iqbal, Asra, Shaukat, Faizan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age groups
Chronic illnesses
Education
Employment
Families & family life
Family structure
Gender
Geriatrics
Health care
Internal Medicine
Life expectancy
Marital status
Medical screening
Medicine
Mental depression
Older people
Population
Psychology
Public Health
Questionnaires
Sociodemographics
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Summary:Introduction The average life expectancy is increasing with better medical facilities and evolving technology. The ratio of the geriatric population is increasing, which drives a need to invest more in the physical and psychological health of older people. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of depression in community-dwelling healthy older adults.  Methods Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) was utilized in this study. Community-dwelling older adults (age 65+ years) were approached in parks, mosques, grocery stores, and waiting areas of banks. Demographic information including age, gender, education, marital status, employment, and financial status, and family structure was recorded. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS v. 22.0. Results Out of the 367 elderly participants, there were 165 (45%) men and 202 (55%) women. Depression was reported in 37% ( = 136) individuals; 29.7% ( = 109) were suggestive of depression, while 33.2% ( = 122) were not depressed. Risk factors for the development of depression included female gender, not living with a spouse (separated/spouse died/single), being financially dependent, being employed, and living alone (not in a joint or nuclear family). Conclusion The incidence of depression is high among healthy community-dwelling elderly individuals in Pakistan. Geriatric health should be taken into consideration. There should be strategies and guidelines to screen the geriatric population for psycho-social symptoms and provide them with psychological counseling.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.4292