A Study to Find Correlation between Depression and Quality of Life in Geriatric Population

Abstract

Introduction- Aging, an inevitable process of every living creature, is associated with a reduction in the homeostatic control and reserve capacity of the organ systems, the capability to adapt to environmental factors, and the capacity of a stress response. Depression is defined as a medical illness and a common mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness, discouragement, loss of self-worth and interest in activities and decreased energy. Quality of life can be defined as an individual’s way of perceiving happiness and satisfaction with life and their position in life in relation to the culture and value systems in which they reside in and in context to their expectations, values and concerns incorporating with physical health. Materials and methodology- For this study, 60 participants were approached. The study was conducted using MMSE, GDS and SF-12 in older adults living in residential areas of Surat and 60 responses were collected. Spearman’s correlation test was performed to find correlation between Depression and Quality of Life. RESULT- Result showed that there is positive correlation between GDS and SF-12 Mental while there is negative correlation between GDS and SF-12 Physical. CONCLUSION- There is moderate to high correlation between depression and quality of life in geriatric population. Keywords: Aging, Geriatrics, Geriatric Depression Scale, Quality of Life, Depression, MMSE, SF-12.