Depression in hospitalized older adults with chronic illness from a hilly Indian state

Abstract

Purpose: The study estimated the prevalence and determinants of depression among older adults with chronic illness.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was done among 337 hospitalized older adults with chronic illness during February 2019-2020 at a selected tertiary care hospital, Rishikesh, India using total enumerative sampling by Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results: Among hospitalized older adults, depressive symptoms (80%) were highly prevalent and closely linked to an extended hospital stay [odds ratio = 2.106; 95% confidence interval [CI]: (1.30-3.411)], life events [odds ratio = 3.41; 95% CI: (1.48-7.88)], and multiple chronicity [odds ratio = 2.44; 95% CI: (1.49-3.98)].

Implications: This study demands liaison psychiatric nurses deployed at Indian tertiary care hospitals who can efficiently conduct screening and management of depression among older adults with chronic illness.

Keywords: chronic illness; cognitive impairment; depressive symptoms; older adults.