Study on psychological well-being and its determinants among elderly people attending geriatric clinic at Medical College, Kolkata

Abstract

Background: Significant growth in the proportion of older people in India will lead to changes in the country’s society. If common psychological problems such as depression and anxiety are not addressed, they can have lasting effects on individuals, particularly older individuals. It has the potential to impair the management of ongoing chronic illnesses and result in both physical and mental limitations. Aims and Objectives: The objective was to assess the psychological well-being (PWB) of the study participants attending the geriatric outpatient department and its contributing factor(s). Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted in the Geriatric Clinic of Medical College, Kolkata, among 301 geriatric people during a 1-year time period. The assessment of PWB was done using Ryff’s PWB scales, 42-item version. The analysis of the data was done using SPSS version 16. Results: The mean age of the participants was 66.68 (±6.48) years. The mean PWB score was 156.2 ± 18.6 according to Ryff’s PWB scales. The minimum score was 94, and the maximum score was 226. Poor PWB was seen among 50.8% of the elderly. Conclusion: Poor PWB among seniors and several factors such as current living arrangements, socioeconomic status, employment history, history of recent injury, and patients’ spiritual history play an important role. To handle the issue, new and modified geriatric health policies are very much needed.