Are the Elderly Over-Burdened by Depression? – An Exploration of the Common Mediating Factors Along the Coasts of South India

Old age is viewed as a challenging and vulnerable period of one’s life when they become progressively dependent on others. Depression refers to a heterogeneous set of phenomena ranging from simple mood swings to severe affective state. The study explored the effect of age on mental health status along with the mediating effects of various socio-demographic factors on the development of depressive symptoms among the elderly (age >60 years) residing in coastal regions of southern India. A pre-tested questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic details and WHO GDS-30(World Health Organization – Geriatric Depression Scale 30) was used. The overall prevalence of depression was noted to be 56.3% (n=58), where 23.3% (n=24) were classified under severe depression. A high burden of depression was noted among the elderly in the present study. Some of the mediating factors were identified to be current living environment, educational status and marital status.