Hypochondriasis and Depression as functions of Aging

The scientific study of aging and aged is comparatively of recent origin. The interest in the field of Gerontology is growing very rapidly not only in the developed countries of the world but also in the developing countries, particularly in India, where the aging population is in the frontline. The first pre-requisite for a happy and productive old age is good health. An attempt was made in the present investigation to study the impact of age and sex on hypochondriasis and depression. One hundred aged men and women in the age group of 40 to 60 years and 60+, living in rural areas of A.P. were selected at random on their willingness to participate in the study. Hypochondriasis and depression were assessed by using MMPI. ‘t’ test was employed to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that hypochondriasis and depression were significantly influenced by their backgrounds.