Swarnalatha N1. 1. Associate Professor, Community Medicine, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College , Siruvachur-621113, Perambalur (District), Tamil Nadu, India .
Abstract
UNLABELLED: It has been documented that the elderly are more prone to psychological problems and depression is the commonest of the geriatric psychiatric disorders. In fact, the elderly in India face a multitude of psychological, social, and physical health problems. There is a dearth of community studies in India, which have investigated geriatric depression and its associated risk factors. Hence, the present study was undertaken with the following objectives. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of depression among the elderly.To determine the epidemiological factors which are associated with depression. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational, community based study. PERIOD: April 2009 to September 2009. SETTING: A Rural Health Centre which was a rural field practice area which was attached to the Community Medicine Department, SV Medical College, Tirupati, India. SUBJECTS: The individuals who were aged 60 years and above were interviewed and examined. METHOD: By random sampling, the villages were selected. This study was conducted through house-to-house visits in the selected villages. Clinical examinations, observations and interviews were carried out by using a pre-designed, pre-tested proforma in the local language. Size: Four hundred subjects. The data was analysed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), version17. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression was 47%. The depression was high among the elderly who were aged 80 years and above (54.3%), females (56.5%), illiterates (59.0%), those who were below the poverty line (86.1%), those who were living alone (87.3%), those who were economically partially dependent (63.3%) and those depended totally for the activities of daily living (100.0%). These factors were significantly associated with depression. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression was found to be positively associated with increasing age, the female sex, illiteracy, a low socio-economic status, those who were living alone, those who were economically partially dependent and those who were totally dependent for the activities of daily living.
UNLABELLED: It has been documented that the elderly are more prone to psychological problems and depression is the commonest of the geriatric psychiatric disorders. In fact, the elderly in India face a multitude of psychological, social, and physical health problems. There is a dearth of community studies in India, which have investigated geriatric depression and its associated risk factors. Hence, the present study was undertaken with the following objectives. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of depression among the elderly.To determine the epidemiological factors which are associated with depression. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational, community based study. PERIOD: April 2009 to September 2009. SETTING: A Rural Health Centre which was a rural field practice area which was attached to the Community Medicine Department, SV Medical College, Tirupati, India. SUBJECTS: The individuals who were aged 60 years and above were interviewed and examined. METHOD: By random sampling, the villages were selected. This study was conducted through house-to-house visits in the selected villages. Clinical examinations, observations and interviews were carried out by using a pre-designed, pre-tested proforma in the local language. Size: Four hundred subjects. The data was analysed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), version17. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression was 47%. The depression was high among the elderly who were aged 80 years and above (54.3%), females (56.5%), illiterates (59.0%), those who were below the poverty line (86.1%), those who were living alone (87.3%), those who were economically partially dependent (63.3%) and those depended totally for the activities of daily living (100.0%). These factors were significantly associated with depression. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression was found to be positively associated with increasing age, the female sex, illiteracy, a low socio-economic status, those who were living alone, those who were economically partially dependent and those who were totally dependent for the activities of daily living.
Entities:
Keywords:
Depression; Geriatric population; Rural area
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