A Sociological study on the Prevalence of Depression among Elderly

Abstract

Depression is a major psychiatric illness characterized by altered sleep pattern, changes in appetite, sadness, feelings of hopelessness and in certain situations the individual might experience suicidal tendencies. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder seen in the elderly. The main aim of the study was: 1.To determine the prevalence of depression in elderly, and 2.To determine the factors responsible for depression among the elderly. A study group of 100 elderly aged 60 years and above were selected randomly from the rural areas of Udupi district. The study findings revealed that 31.2% of the samples were found to have severe depression. The frequency of financial constraint, lack of social support, lack of care givers were the factors responsible for the increased predominance of depression in the elderly