Prevalence of Depression in Turk Azeri Older Adults of Iran

Abstract

Objectives The population aging is a pretty new phenomenon and psychological disorder is one of the most important problems associated with the elderly communities. In ethnic societies, there are some barriers in the elderly that could impede the diagnosis of psychological and mood disorders such as depression. The current cross sectional study investigated the demographic characteristics, prevalence of depression, and some social factors and personal health problems of 60 Iranian Azeri Turkish elderly cases who stayed home.Methods The current cross sectional study was conducted on 300 Iranian Azeri Turkish elderly who participated in the study voluntarily and had no cognition impairment. Samples were selected randomly. The study participants filled out a questionnaire containing demographic information, health status and diseases antecedent; the questionnaire of depression in the elderly (GDS-15) was also completed by interviewing the cases. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 employing t test, Chi-square test, and ANOVA. Results The mean age of the study cases was 70±7.2 years in males and 69±6.5 years in females. Based on the results of the current study, the mean score of depression in the study cases was 4.62±3.53. The prevalence of minor depression was 28%, moderate depression 10.3%, and major depression 6.3%; also, 55.4% were asymptomatic. There was a significant statistical relationship between depression score and gender (P<0.001), occupational status (P<0.001), educational level (P=0.01), physical activity (P=0.02), chronic diseases (P<0.001), hearing impairments (P=0.007), and problems with kidney and urinary tract (P=0.04), gastrointestinal (P<0.001) and musculoskeletal systems (P<0.001); there was no significant statistical relationship between the mean score of depression and the place of living (urban or rural residence), level of income, and living together (P≥0.05). Conclusion Depression is one of the most important diseases in aging period. The prevalence of minor and moderate depression among Azeri elderly is lower or similar to those of other studies in Iran. The result indicated a positive and significant relationship between depression and some health status variables. Hence, it is recommended to apply screening programs to identify elderly who are at risk for psychological disorders and also define measures to improve their life satisfaction, health status, and the quality of life.