Depression and its Associated Risk Factors among Residents of a Geriatric Home in Western Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Elderly people suffer from many acute and chronic illnesses and also show higher prevalence of depression. The trend of old age homes is rising in Nepal. The aim of this study was to assess depression in the residents of a geriatric home and compare it to that in the elderly population living in their own homes. Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study in which residents of a geriatric home above 60 years of age were selected as cases, and those living in their own homes were selected from the local community as a comparison group. Depression was measured with Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) comprising 30 questions. Chi-square (or Fisher Exact) test was used to compare categorical variables. Results: There were 52 participants in both groups. Thirty-six (69.2%) participants from the study group had depression whereas only 10 (19.2%) from the comparison group had depression. This difference was statistically significant, the odds ratio being 9.45. Conclusion: Depression is significantly high in elderly population living in a geriatric home as compared to those living in their own homes.