Determinants of Depression Status of Elderly in Kancheepuram District: A Community Based Neighborhood Study

Abstract

Background: Depression is common psychiatric disorder, affects both mind and body, leads decrease

in productivity, disability and increased suicide rates. Prevalence rate ranged from 21 – 83 % in general

population and among elderly 21.9% in India. Very few population based studies at village levels from

India; hence this study was attempted to find the depression status and associated risk factors among elderly,

which may serve as baseline data and also help in planning the health services and policies for them. The

objective of the study is to find geriatric depression and its determinants in rural area of kancheepuram

district, Tamilnadu.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in selected villages of kancheepuram district Tamilnadu

from Nov 2018 to May 2019. 963 Study participants aged 60 years and above both gender were selected by

probability proportion to size, administered by pre tested semi structured questionnaire, WHOBREF, CESD

after obtained informed consent. Descriptive statistics N, % Mean and SD calculated; Correlation coefficient

was calculated at 5% level of significance by using SPSS 16V.

Results: The prevalence of geriatric depression were mild 10%, Moderate 26% and severe 38%. Religion,

Socio economic status, work participation, economic dependency, living arrangement and subjective

wellbeing, neighborhood variables availability and distance to reach facilities such as transport, health,

communication and recreation had significant association with geriatric depression.

Conclusions: This study is first kind of community based neighborhood study at village level from Tamilnadu

on prevalence of geriatric depression and its determinants.