Depression Among India’s Older Adults: The Burdens and Challenges of a Widespread Disease

IF 1.4 4区社会学 Q2 SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY Society Pub Date : 2024-08-21 DOI:10.1007/s12115-024-01016-1

Isha Sharma, Alok Ranjan

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Abstract

Mental health disorders, particularly depression, are significant contributors to the global burden of disease. This study aims to explore the prevalence and consequences of depression among older adults, focusing on current challenges and effective interventions. This study used data for the older adult population (age 60 years and above) from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI). Descriptive statistics along with logistic regression was used to examine the disease burdens and challenges, and to investigate the relationships between depression and the various socio-economic factors. Prevalence of depression was observed in 20.1% of the older adult population out of which more than half (51.3%) of the older adults were noted to be severely depressed. Percentage of the older adults suffering from depression was found to be increasing with age. The odds of females having depression were higher than males (OR = 2.71, p < 0.01) and the richest quintile older adults (OR = − 0.79, p < 0.05) were more likely to suffer from depression than the poorest quintile older adults. Only 1.9% depressed older adults sought out-patient care while for in-patient care this percentage was as low as 0.36%. The fact that 21.1% of the older adults sought out-patient depression treatment from pharmacists and traditional/folk healers reflects stigma. The mean out-of-pocket expenditure for in-patient care for depression was ₹18,002 (₹3305 public; 29,307 private) and that for out-patient care was ₹1176 (₹1062 public; 1340 private). Depression-stricken older adults have reported a lower quality of life. Depression in the older adults is a pervasive and severe issue in India, necessitating urgent attention and action from policymakers, healthcare providers, and society at large.

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印度老年人中的抑郁症：一种普遍疾病带来的负担和挑战

心理健康疾病，尤其是抑郁症，是造成全球疾病负担的重要因素。本研究旨在探讨抑郁症在老年人中的发病率和后果，重点关注当前面临的挑战和有效的干预措施。本研究使用了印度老龄化纵向研究（LASI）中的老年人口（60 岁及以上）数据。研究采用了描述性统计和逻辑回归方法来研究疾病负担和挑战，并调查抑郁症与各种社会经济因素之间的关系。据观察，20.1% 的老年人口患有抑郁症，其中一半以上（51.3%）的老年人患有严重抑郁症。患有抑郁症的老年人比例随着年龄的增长而增加。女性患抑郁症的几率高于男性（OR = 2.71，p < 0.01），最富有的五分之一老年人（OR = - 0.79，p < 0.05）比最贫穷的五分之一老年人更容易患抑郁症。只有 1.9% 的抑郁症老年人寻求门诊治疗，而住院治疗的比例则低至 0.36%。21.1%的老年人向药剂师和传统/民间医士寻求门诊抑郁症治疗，这反映了他们的耻辱感。抑郁症住院治疗的平均自付费用为 18 002 英镑（公费 3305 英镑；自费 29 307 英镑），门诊治疗的平均自付费用为 1176 英镑（公费 1062 英镑；自费 1340 英镑）。患有抑郁症的老年人生活质量较低。在印度，老年人抑郁症是一个普遍而严重的问题，需要政策制定者、医疗服务提供者和整个社会给予紧急关注并采取行动。

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来源期刊

Society Multiple-

CiteScore

1.30

自引率

11.10%

发文量

132

审稿时长

12 weeks

期刊介绍： Founded in 1962, Society enjoys a wide reputation as a journal that publishes the latest scholarship on the central questions of contemporary society. It produces six issues a year offering new ideas and quality research in the social sciences and humanities in a clear, accessible style. Society sees itself as occupying the vital center in intellectual and political debate. Put negatively, this means the journal is opposed to all forms of dogmatism, absolutism, ideological uniformity, and facile relativism. More positively, it seeks to champion genuine diversity of opinion and a recognition of the complexity of the world''s issues. Society includes full-length research articles, commentaries, discussion pieces, and book reviews which critically examine work conducted in the social sciences as well as the humanities. The journal is of interest to scholars and researchers who work in these broadly-based fields of enquiry and those who conduct research in neighboring intellectual domains. Society is also of interest to non-specialists who are keen to understand the latest developments in such subjects as sociology, history, political science, social anthropology, philosophy, economics, and psychology. The journal’s interdisciplinary approach is reflected in the variety of esteemed thinkers who have contributed to Society since its inception. Contributors have included Simone de Beauvoir, Robert K Merton, James Q. Wilson, Margaret Mead, Abraham Maslow, Richard Hoggart, William Julius Wilson, Arlie Hochschild, Alvin Gouldner, Orlando Patterson, Katherine S. Newman, Patrick Moynihan, Claude Levi-Strauss, Hans Morgenthau, David Riesman, Amitai Etzioni and many other eminent thought leaders. The success of the journal rests on attracting authors who combine originality of thought and lucidity of expression. In that spirit, Society is keen to publish both established and new authors who have something significant to say about the important issues of our time.