Screening of Depression in Elderly Population Using a Geriatric Depression Scale in the Field Practice Area of Urban Health Training Centre Attached to SMS Medical College, Jaipur

Background and objective: Depression is one of the most common illnesses worldwide, with more than 264 million people affected. Various studies in the elderly population have estimated the prevalence of depression across India, with results ranging from 6% to 62%. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of depression among the elderly population using a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and to find out the association between various sociodemographic parameters and depression among elderly people.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the field practice area of Urban Health Training Centre (UHTC), attached to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College, Jaipur from September 2019 to July 2020 among elderly people. Some 250 participants were interviewed.

Results: Depression was present in 41.6% of the study participants. Age group, gender, marital status, educational qualification, type of family, financial dependence, socioeconomic status, and presence of morbidity were significantly associated with the presence of depression among study participants (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The prevalence of depression in the urban elderly population was high (41.6%). By identifying risk factors for depression among the elderly population and screening them on time, we can reduce the severity and burden of the disease to a greater extent.