Depression and anxiety among the elderly persons from institutional and noninstitutional settings in the field practice area of a tertiary-care institute, Andhra Pradesh: a comparative study

Abstract

Background: Among the elderly population, the most common psychiatric conditions include depression and anxiety, which often go untreated or unrecognized, owing to the lack of knowledge and misperceptions about these conditions. As the rise in aging population is the current trend all over the world, these morbidities may result in decreased quality of life among elderly population if left untreated. Objective: To assess and compare depression and anxiety among the elderly people from institutional and noninstitutional settings. Materials and Methods: A total of 112 elderly persons, 56 from old-age home and 56 from the community in the field practice area of a tertiary-care institute, Kuppam, were selected. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Hamilton Anxiety 14 item rating scale were used to assess the depression and anxiety, respectively. Result: Overall prevalence of depression was 66.1%, and anxiety was 93.8% among the study population. Prevalence of depression was more among institutional elderly persons compared with those from the community, which was statistically significant. Prevalence of anxiety was almost equal among the elderly population from institutional and noninstitutional settings. Conclusion: High prevalence necessitates early screening and management of depression and anxiety, especially among the institutional elderly persons. A multidimensional approach to manage these problems to improving the quality of life of the elderly individuals should be the goal.