DEPRESSIVE STATUS AND SOME ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN GERIATRIC INPATIENTS AT CAN THO HOSPITAL OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE DURING THE FOURTH WAVE OF THE COVID-19

Abstract

Background: The fourth wave of the COVID-19 had severe impact on the health of Vietnamese people. The COVID pandemic increased the rate of depression in various populations, especially the elderly. Surveying the rate of depression in this group during the COVID-19 outbreak was necessary for improving patients' life quality. Objectives: To determine the rate of depression and some associated factors in elderly inpatients at Can Tho Hospital of Traditional Medicine using the PHQ-9 scale. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 201 inpatients at age 60 or older from September 2021 to March 2022. The prevalence of depression was measured using the PHQ-9 scale. Some demographic factors and medical conditions were analyzed in relation. SPSS software was used to process the data. Results: 132 patients (65.67%) participating in the study suffered from depression. The results showed that the minimum level of depression accounted for 25.37%; mild depression 22.39%; moderate depression 12.44%; and severe depression 5.47%. Associated factors including place of residence (OR = 0.441; p = 0.008), no health insurance (p <0.05), COVID infection (OR = 0.574; p < 0.001), patient income (OR = 3.51; p = 0.032), field hospital healthcare (OR = 0.390, p<0.05) had statistical significance related to depression. Conclusions: Depression is a common mental health problem in older people with underlying medical conditions, which tended to worsen during the COVID-19 period. The present finding provides an alarm signal to hospitals in general and Can Tho Hospital of Traditional Medicine in particular about the comorbidities of depression when treating elderly patients with COVID-19. More research on the treatment of depression for elderly patients after COVID-19 infection needs to be done on the field of traditional medicine. Depression's symptoms need to be studied and compared with "Constraint syndrome" in traditional medicine to provide combination therapy.