English

Abstract

BACKGROUND With recent advancement in health facility, both in urban and rural population, ratio of elderly people has increased and due to this apart from physical illness, mental health is also emerged as an important public health challenge. Psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders and substance use disorders were commonly found in elderly specially living alone and in care homes. The primary purpose of this study was to compare mental health of elderly people living in care homes with those living with family in Kota (Hadoti region, Rajasthan). METHODS This is a cross-sectional comparative study that was carried out in 50 elderly people living in care homes and 50 elderly people living with family. Both groups were screened for psychiatric disorders using general health questionnaire (GHQ – 12). Comparison was made under various headings between these groups including severity. Obtained data were analysed by using proportion, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, and Pearson correlation. RESULTS No statistically significant difference was found in having psychiatric disorders on screening with GHQ - 12. Difference in these groups for prevalence and severity was not statistically significant for depression and anxiety although significant higher mean of total geriatric depression score (GDS) score in control (10.74 ± 2.56) than in cases (9.38 ± 2.36) and total Hamilton’s anxiety rating scale (HAM – A) score was seen in case group (24.53 ± 3.50) than in controls (23.15 ± 2.34). CONCLUSIONS In this study, it was found out that psychiatry morbidity was higher among elderly population living in old age home when compared to elders living with family in community. Possible reason for higher psychiatric morbidity in old age home group in our study appears to be because of lack of family support, pain of being separated from their children whom they cared and nurtured for their whole life. In psychiatric morbidity we found that depression was the most common disorder in elderly population in both groups. KEYWORDS Old Age Home, Mental Disorders, Depression, Anxiety