The relationship between social and demographic factors and prevalence of depression among over 60 years old individuals, Shiraz, Iran

Introduction: Depression is one of the prevalent disorders of present century and is the forth costly disorder in the world so that with no doubt it will be the second expensive world disorder in 2015. Some demographic and social factors among the elderly, may cause their depression. This study looks into the relationship between social and demographic factors as well as prevalence of depression among over 60 years old individuals in elderly centers in Shiraz, 2009. Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 over 60 years old patients (100 women and 20 men) in two different social welfare centers in Shiraz were carried out. 60 people from each center were selected randomly. Beck depression questionnaire and a questionnaire for demographic characteristics of the patients were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using t-test and correlation coefficient. Results: Of the total cases, 65% (78 cases) percent showed mild depression, 25.83% (31 cases) were medium and 9.17% (11 cases) represented as severe depression. Significant relationship was found between marital status, age, activity, income and depression. There was no significant relationship between depression and literacy or number of children. Conclusion: Findings indicate that some demographic and social characteristics among the elderly can increase or decrease the possibility of their depression. Identification of these factors, and appropriate solutions would affect the level and severity of depression.