Prevalence of depression among institutionalized elders in the Colombo district

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of different degrees of depression, age and gender specific prevalence of depression and factors which are associated with depression among elderly residing in elderly homes in the district of Colombo. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study involving 100 senior citizens aged 60 years and above institutionalized in five randomly selected “Homes for the Elderly” in the district of Colombo. A pre-tested, interviewer administered questionnaire in Sinhalese medium containing the Geriatric Depression Scale was used in the study. Results: The prevalence of depression in the study population (n=100) was 56%, of which 23.2% had severe depression. Sixty percent of the female population (n=50) and 52% of the male population (n=50) were found to have depression. Prevalence of depression was found to be significantly higher among those with chronic diseases (p<0.01), family conflicts (p<0.05) and lack of psychological support (p<0.05). There was no significant association (p>0.05) with age, lack of financial support, literacy level, marital status and absence of a leisure time activity. Conclusions: There are several factors which are seen to be associated with the existence of depression in the elderly. In the light of these results, a multidisciplinary approach is required for preparing social arrangements, enhancing family and community support and home care for elderly persons. Introduction Sri Lanka has the fastest growing elderly population in the world (1). Those who are 60 years and above, are considered as elderly. The preliminary analysis of the Census of the population of Sri Lanka, conducted in 2001, indicates that the proportion of elderly is 9.3% (2). It is estimated that by the year 2041, about a quarter of the Sri Lanka population would comprise of those who are 60 years and above (3). Psychiatric disorders are especially prevalent among elderly (5). With a greater percentage of people living beyond the age of 60 in both the developed and the developing countries, the problem of mental illness among the elderly has grown significantly (4). Out of the psychiatric disorders amongst the elderly, depression is one of the most frequent and debilitating mental disorders, with a world-wide prevalence of about 10-15% (5). Further adding to this problem, depression in the elderly is often undiagnosed or untreated (5). In today’s context, the contribution of the Homes for the Elderly, towards providing care for the elderly population has become important. Statistics reveal that over 5800 of the elderly population in Sri Lanka reside in around 162 elderly homes registered under the National Secretariat for elders (6). Not many studies have been conducted to look into the mental wellbeing of this population in Sri Lanka. Therefore assessment of depression among the elderly is timely and important for the future. Methodology A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in five “Homes for the Elderly” which were selected randomly, from a list of all the “Homes for the elderly” registered with the Social Services Department in the Colombo District. Study population The study population consisted of all the elderly residing in the “Homes for the Elderly” in the Colombo district. The inclusion criterion was being resident in the” Home for the Elderly” for more than one year. The exclusion criterion was having being diagnosed with a mental illness.