Relationship between Depression and Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in the Elderly

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the presence of depression in elderly patients with hypertension and to evaluate its relationship with treatment adherence.
 Material and Methods: The sample of this descriptive and correlational study consisted of 334 patients with aged 65 and over which using antihypertensive drugs. Data were collected using the hypertension compliance assessment scale and the geriatric depression scale.
 Results: 58.4% of the patients participating in the study were evaluated as incompatible according to the score they got from the hypertension compliance assessment scale. The mean score that the patients got from the compliance scale was found as 7.29 ± 2.65. 39.5% of the patients included in the study were found to be mildly depressed compared to the average score they got from the depression scale. The mean score obtained from the depression scale was found to be 6.70 ± 3.44. As the age of the patients participating in the study increased, it was found that the score which they got from the hypertension compliance assessment scale increased, and there was a weakly positive significant relationship between them (r = 0.113, p = 0.038).
 Conclusion: As a result, there is a relationship between treatment compliance and depression levels in the elderly. As the age of elderly patients increases, their level of compliance with treatment decreases and their depressive symptoms increase. Therefore, healthcare professionals should routinely evaluate the symptoms of depression in the elderly with chronic diseases such as hypertension.