A cross-sectional study to determine the cognitive impairment and depression among elderly in a rural area of West Bengal

Background: The increase in worldwide life expectancy among the elderly is contributing to an increase in cognitive impairment (CI). A more complicated etiology makes CI an essential clinical concern for elderly patients with depression. Ageing populations as a result of demographic change have accelerated the development of certain geriatric conditions, including CI and depression. Aims and Objectives: The objective was to identify the prevalence and contributing factors of CI and depression in the elderly rural community. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and community-based study was conducted in rural field practice area of Medical College, Kolkata, among 133 geriatric people during time period of March–June, 2022. The prevalence of CI was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale and depression was assessed using the geriatric depression scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 16. Results: Mean age of the participants was 65.68 (±6.03) years. The prevalence of CI was 86.5%, with a mean MMSE score of 19.27 ± 4.34, and the depression was 77.5% and 7.07 ± 3.39. Conclusion: Almost two-third of the geriatric population is suffering from depression and CI. To handle the issue of CI, depression, and its resulting effects, new and modified geriatric health policies are very much needed.

Depression in the elderly: Prevalence and associated factors in urban population

Introduction: Depression in elderly population is a serious public health concern but is often undetected and ignored as a medical problem, leading to poor quality of life. Aim and Objectives: The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and degree of depression among the elderly population using a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS?15) Short Form and to study some correlates associated with depression in them. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 100 elderly subjects using systematic random sampling technique. After getting informed consent, information was collected using GDS?15 Marathi version. Results: Of 100 respondents interviewed, 52 were 70 years and above and 54 were male. The prevalence of depression among the elderly was 84.0%. Sixteen (8 males and 8 females) were suffering from severe depression. Age, sex, death of spouse, education, occupation, and morbidity status were found to be significantly associated with depression. Conclusions: The prevalence of depression among the urban elderly was very high. By identifying risk factors for depression among the elderly population and screening them on time, we can go a long way in adding life to their years instead of years to life of the elderly.

Mental health, functional ability, and health-related quality of life in elderly patients attending a tertiary hospital of Patna

With changing socioeconomic, demographic, and development scenario, there is a cultural shift in looking after the elderly population which may lead to depression in this age group. Materials and Methods: The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted in the orthopedic department of a tertiary care setting on 157 elderly individuals. This study was conducted with objectives to estimate the proportion of depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS-SF) questionnaire along with its associated factors in geriatric population coming to the orthopedic department of the institute. The study tools were GDS-SF, Katz Index of Independence in activities of daily living (ADL), the Lawton instrumental ADL, and health-related quality of life by the Centers for Disease Control. Results: The proportion of depressed individuals was 70/157 (44.6%) using GDS as a tool. The maximum number was in the age group of 60–74 years. Women outnumbered men (51.3% vs. 38.31%) for depression. The depression using GDS score was more prevalent in rural elderly, illiterate, and elderly who were economically dependent on their children and who belonged to lower middle socioeconomic status. Approximately 98% of the study participants were found to be independent using ADL. Approximately 60% males and 68% females were dependent for the instrumental ADL using Lawton score. Most of the study participants had arthritis as a major impairment sharing almost equal proportion among males and females. Conclusion: The current study concludes that there is a very high proportion of elderly subjects who are experiencing depression using the GDS-SF tool. There should be regular screening for this disease in this age group even in a tertiary care setting.

Depression and its predictors among geriatric population in the urban slum of Bankura town of Eastern India

Background: Depression is the leading cause of disease burden ranked as third worldwide and also common among elderly people. The study was conducted to find out the prevalence of depression and its correlates among geriatric slum dwellers.Methods: This community based cross-sectional, an observational analytical epidemiological study was conducted from January 2018 to April 2018 among geriatric people residing in the urban slums of Bankura town. Out of 295 slums, 30 slums were selected by cluster sampling method. From each cluster 7 geriatric people were selected by systematic random sampling method and data were collected by interview method using interviewer-administered both close and open-ended, the predesigned pretested questionnaire which included 15 items Geriatric depression scale short form (GDS-SF). To reveal the ultimate predictor variables, bivariate analysis and followed by logistic regression was done.Results: Out of 210 people 59.1% was suffering from depression. In multiple logistic regression, we found that people who were suffering from chronic illness were 10.3 times more depressed. Married people were 6 times more depressed than others and 60 to 69 years people were found 4.4 times more depressed than elder geriatrics. People who belonged to poor socio-economic status (IV+V), were found as 2.7 times more depressed. Decision maker within the family was observed more depressed 1.8 times than others.Conclusions: Chronic illness, economic insecurity due to lower socio-economic status, over-thinking of marital people for their spouse’s security and health and newer identity as ‘senior citizen’ attributed to depression among geriatrics people.

A comparative study of depression among the elderly living in old age homes and community in Visakhapatnam, India

Background: Depression in old age is an emerging public health problem leading to morbidity and disabling effect on the quality of life. Depression in elderly is not yet perceived as a public health problem and is grossly underdiagnosed and undertreated. The physical and social environment plays an important role on the mental health of the elderly. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess and compare the depression among elderly residing in old age homes (OAHs) and community. The objective of the study was to assess and compare depression among elderly residing in OAHs and those living in community.Methods: A cross sectional study was done from October to December, 2016 among 100 elderly, of which 50 were inmates of old age homes and 50 were living in community selected by house to house survey. A pre tested, externally validated short form geriatric depression scale (GDS-15) in the local language is used after taking informed consent.Results: Prevalence of depression was high among inmates of old age homes (80%) compared to those of community (52%), this difference was statistically significant (p=0.003). On analyzing the association between sociodemographic factors and depression among the elderly residing in the community, it was found that marital status and presence of chronic disease were significantly associated with depression (p<0.05). Whereas among the elderly residing in old age homes, no significant asociation was found between depression and the sociodemographic factors.Conclusions: High prevalence of depression observed among the studied population indicates the need of screening for depression among elderly.

Prevalence of geriatric depression and assessment of facilities available in old‑age homes of Mysore: A comparative study between public and private homes

Background: In elderly mental disorders are overlooked or underdiagnosed. Almost 20% of elderly above 60 years of age suffer from a mental or neurological disorder, and the most common ones are dementia and depression. Studies have pointed out the increased prevalence of depression in old‑age homes. Objectives: The objectives are as follows: (1) To estimate and compare the prevalence of geriatric depression among people living in public and private old‑age homes and (2) to study the factors associated with depression and compare the facilities in public and private old‑age homes. Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional questionnaire‑based study was conducted among geriatric population in old‑age homes of Mysore. Depression was assessed using the short form of geriatric depression scale‑15, cognitive impairment using Mini‑Mental State Examination‑30. Data relating to sociodemographic variables and facility assessment were collected separately. Results: The overall prevalence of depression in old‑age homes of Mysore was 33.3% (46.3% in public and 21.6% in private old‑age homes with P = 0.002). The facilities offered and reason for stay also varied significantly across both homes. Marital status, education, economical dependency, and uncorrected impairment were the factors associated with depression. Among the psychosocial factors, feeling of loneliness, and neglect were significant predictors in both settings. Other psychosocial factors such as feeling satisfied by the status of their children’s life, advice taken by their children, financial and personal losses in the past 1 year, and presence in social events were significant predictors only in private old‑age home. Conclusion: Prevalence of depression in the old‑age homes differs significantly with the type of home, the facilities offered, and the reason cited by the inmates for admission probably is the contributing factor for the variation in depression.

A cross sectional study on screening for depression among elderly in rural areas of Puducherry, India

Background: Depression among elderly has been a neglected health issue. Various factors hinder its early diagnosis. The objectives of this study are to screen for depression among elderly using geriatric depression scale-15 and to determine its influencing factors.Methods: A community based cross sectional study on geriatric depression was done in villages catered by a primary health centre in Puducherry. Permanent residents of the study setting, aged ≥60 years consenting for the study were included. Line listing of elderly individuals in the study setting was done and subjects were selected by simple random sampling. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinic-psychological variables. Hindi mental state examination scale was used to screen for cognitive impairment (score <23). Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to screen for depression (score >5) among geriatric individuals. Appropriate statistical tests of significance were done.Results: Among the 360 elderly individuals screened using GDS-15 tool, 41.4% of them were found to be at a higher risk of developing depression. Significant factors for risk of depression in univariate analysis include being female, illiterate, unemployed, widow/single, having sleep problems, dependency in activities of daily living and cognitive impairment. Predictors for risk of depression evident by multivariate analysis include presence of unemployment, sleep problems and cognitive impairment.Conclusions: A higher proportion of elderly was observed to be at risk of depression.  Primary care physicians may consider screening for depression in elderly with identified risk factors and act accordingly.

Relationship between depressive symptoms andblood biochemical indices in elderly inpatients / 中国心理卫生杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the depressive symptoms and blood biochemical indexes in elderly inpatients.Methods:Totally 201 inpatients without depression were enrolled in this study.Blood tests and the Geriatric Depression Scale-5 (GDS-15) were performed on all of the patients.The patients were divided into non-depressive symptoms group and depressive symptoms group according to GDS-15 score.Differences between two groups were compared, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to screen for risk factors by SPSS 22.0.Results:Serum total protein (TP) [ (60.7±4.3) vs. (63.5±5.6) g/L] and hemoglobin [ (121.6±20.1) vs. (129.7±19.4) g/L] were lower in the depressive symptoms group than in the non-depressive symptoms group (Ps＜0.05).There were no differences between the two groups in age, BMI, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (Ps＞0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis showed that TP was the predictive variable for GDS-15 score (β=-0.4, P＜0.05).Conclusion:Serum total protein and hemoglobin levels in patients with depressive symptoms may be significant lower than those in patients without depressive symptom.There is association between serum total protein and depressive symptoms.

Depression and its correlates among geriatric people: A community based study from Southern Haryana, India

On account of improved life expectancy, better education and health facilities in India, the proportion of the geriatric population has gone up. In India, prevalence of depression estimated to be 4.5% in the year 2015, which affects about 57 million people. Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression and its epidemiological correlates among geriatric people residing in southern Haryana, India. Material and Methods: This community based study with cross-sectional design was conducted in rural and urban field practice areas of department of Community Medicine. Geriatric people were contacted by investigators through house to house visit. Study subjects were screened for depression by using standard shorter version Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Pearson’s Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to find out an independent factors associated with depression. Result: A total of 308 elderly persons belonging to rural and urban areas participated in our study. Prevalence of depression (GDS score >5) among the elderly population in the present study was found to be 22.72% (95% CI: 18.2-27.8). Conclusion: Present study depicted that every fourth elderly person was suffering with depression. Nuclear family, sleep problems, not consulting elderly in decisions, chronic morbidity, lack of physical activities, and death of close relatives were identified as risk factors of depression.

Prevalence Rate Of Depression Among Elderly Population In Central India

The adult population is booming at an alarming rate leading to the most difficult challenges faced by both developing and developed nations. The rapid changes in social and cultural values have marked influence on the psychological well being of the elderly. Depression among the elderly remains unrecognized or inadequately treated condition. The goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of depression in elderly people living in central India. MATERIALS AND METHOD- 200 elderly individuals of 60 years of age or more reporting to the institute who gave consent for the study were screened. While those individuals who refused to provide consent were excluded. Demographic details were recorded, and level of depression was assessed using Geriatric depression scale (Sheikh & Yesavage, 1986.) RESULT: The data was analysed and the results were recorded. The Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. In this study, severe depression was found in 30% elderly while 50% were mildly depressed. Also, Women were more depressed as compared to men. CONCLUSION- The high prevalence of depression among elderly especially females emphasize increased need of family and community support and availability of better health care services. The small sample size of this study is limitation, so large-scale studies are needed for a better picture of mental health in rural older adults in India.

Association of head circumference with cognitive decline and symptoms of depression in elderly: a 3-year prospective study / 영남의대학술지

BACKGROUND: Brain volume is associated with dementia and depression in the elderly. An easy way to predict relative brain volume is to measure head circumference. In this study, we investigated the relationship between head circumference and cognition as well as depression in a non-demented elderly community.METHODS: Baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted in 2007 and 2010. At baseline, community residents aged 65 years or over (n=382) within a rural area of South Korea were screened for dementia and symptoms of depression and were followed using the same screening battery after 3 years (n=279). Data from anthropometric measurements (head circumference, height, and body weight), demographics, and blood tests were gathered. Neuropsychological tests, including the Korean version of mini-mental state examination (K-MMSE), clinical dementia rating (CDR) including the CDR-sum of boxes, the Korean version of instrumental activities of daily living, and geriatric depression scale (GDS), were performed. None of the 279 subjects followed were demented.RESULTS: Baseline performance on the K-MMSE and GDS was poorer for participants with smaller head circumferences. Follow-up performance on the MMSE was also poorer for participants with smaller head circumferences. Interestingly, participants with smaller head circumference showed worse GDS scores at baseline but on follow-up examination, participants with larger head circumference showed rapid worsening than those with smaller head circumference with marginal significance by ANOVA test. In regression coefficient analysis, GDS decline showed significant difference.CONCLUSION: Head circumference was not associated with cognitive change but was associated with symptoms of depression in non-demented community residents.

Usage Status and Characteristics of Mobile Devices for the Geriatric Population

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the current usage status and identify the needs of mobile devices in the geriatric population, thus grasping the accessibility and possibility of mobile devices which can be positively used to allow them to obtain health information and manage their mental health. METHODS: All self-reported questionnaires, such as demographics, mobile phone usage, and several mental health-related scales, were completed by two elderly groups (14 males ; aged over 60, mean=73) who visited Seodaemun-gu center for dementia: 1) 54 feature phone and 2) 57 smartphone users. RESULTS: The results revealed that they have had the need to receive health information and healthcare particularly on psychiatric disorders such as dementia, geriatric depression, and anxiety. The relation between wireless calling plan and the two groups was significant. The two groups showed a significant difference only in the Short form of Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS) score; The feature phone group had significantly higher SGDS score than the smartphone group did. CONCLUSION: As the elderly mobile phone users showed a high level of need for health information and healthcare via their own mobile phones, the data of this study are expected to serve as a foundation for the development of elderly-friendly mobile applications and programs.

Curative effect observation of intermediate care on patients with after acute stage / 中国综合临床

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of intermediate care in patients with after acute stroke.Methods Six hundred cases patients with after acute stroke were divided into experimental group with 301 cases and control groups with 299 cases according to the opinions of patient and family members.The experimental group was given intermediate care for 2 weeks.The control group was given the basic treatment of cerebral infarction.Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score,fall risk score and geriatric depression scale (GDS) were compared between the two groups at the time of entry,2 weeks after treatment,6 months and 12 months of follow-up.Results There were no significant differences in terms of ADL score,fall risk score and GDS between the two groups at the time of entry(P＞0.05).Compared with at the time of entry,ADL score and fall risk score were decreased of two group after 2 weeks after treatment,6 months and 12 months of follow-up(P ＜0.05),and ADL score and fall risk score of the experimental group both were lower than of the control group after 2 weeks after treatment,6 months and 12 months of follow-up(P＜0.05).Compared with at the time of entry and 2 weeks after treatment,GDS of two groups both were decreased 6 months and 12 months of follow-up (P ＜0.05),but there was no significant difference between the two groups in different time periods(P ＞0.05).Conclusion Intermediate care has a significant effect on improving the activities of daily living and reducing the risk of falls in patients with after acute stroke,and can reduce the GDS score.

Clinical analysis of cognitive function and depressive states in patients with age-related macular degeneration / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the difference of cognitive impairment and depression between age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) group and the control group patients. ·METHODS: A prospective case-control study was performed from November 2014 to August 2016 in the hospital for AMD patients and sex-matched control group. The Mini-Mental State Examination ( MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale ( GDS ) score of each patient were collected for statistical analyzing. ·RESULTS: There were total 84 cases ( 168 eyes ) included in the study. The difference of visual acuity between the two group was statistically significant ( F=8. 953, P=0. 004) by baseline data analyzing. There were no significant differences in MMSE scores between the two groups according to educational status ( P>0. 05 ) , while the prevalence of cognitive impairment in each group was statistically significant (x2 =4. 14, P=0. 042). The difference of GDS scores, prevalence of total and mild depression between two groups were both statistically significant (F=5. 852, P=0. 018; x2=6. 372, P=0. 012; x2 = 5. 674, P = 0. 017 ). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of moderate to severe depression (x2=0. 672, P=0. 412). ·CONCLUSION: AMD patients have a higher prevalence of depression. Although MMSE score differences were not statistically significant in subgroup analysis by educational levels, AMD patients are more likely to have cognitive impairment overall.

Los modelos de mezcla de la Teoría de respuesta al ítem

Se presentan los modelos de mezcla de la Teoría de respuesta al ítem y cómo estos pueden ser utilizados para identificar subagrupaciones no observadas de examinados denominadas como clases latentes. Asimismo se ejemplifica la utilidad del modelo de mezcla de la Teoría de respuesta al ítem de dos parámetros, mediante el cual se logra detectar la presencia de ítems en una escala de depresión que miden de manera distinta a los examinados en comparación con el resto de ítems que componen dicho instrumento. Finalmente, se presentan algunas recomendaciones generales en cuanto a la complementariedad que debe existir entre la teoría sustantiva que subyace al desarrollo de una escala y la aplicación de los modelos de mezcla de la Teoría de respuesta al ítem.

The Item Response Theory mixture models and how these can be used to identify unobserved sub-groups of examinees, known as latent classes, are presented. The usefulness of the two-parameter mixture model parameters is exemplified by detecting the presence of items in a depression scale that measure the examinees differently in comparison with the rest of items. Finally, some general recommendations regarding the complementarity that should exist between the substantive theory underlying the development of a scale and the use of these models are given.

Geriatric Depression and Associated Risk Factors: A Cross-sectional Study in an Urban Setting.

The geriatric population in India is steadily rising over the past years. The healthcare sector in India has been focusing on somatic age related diseases, neglecting psychological disorders faced by this population. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in this group and is frequently under diagnosed because its symptoms are not reported considering them to be age related. Changing cultural traditions and emergence of nuclear families in urban areas of India has left the elderly lonely and insecure, making them more prone to depression. In this view, a study was conducted to assess the prevalence of depression in apparently healthy elderly living in a city and to find the associated risk factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted where 100 elderly (. 60 years) were interviewed by visiting old age homes and residential areas located in Panvel, Navi Mumbai. The geriatric depression scale-short form (GDS-SF) was used to assess their depression status. Various sociodemographic factors were analyzed to see their association with depression. In this study, 31% of the participants suffered from depression (GDS score >5). A significant association was observed between depression and the risk factors: age, education, place of residence and comorbid conditions. No significant association was observed with gender, marital status, family type or financial status. The study shows that the prevalence of geriatric depression is moderately high even in urban settings in India. With increasing geriatric population, there is a need for greater attention toward the elderly and formulation of welfare services toward their betterment.

The Relationship between Geriatric Depression Scale Structure and Cognitive-Behavioral Aspects in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) is a widely used depression screening questionnaire, the implications of the GDS15 in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are questionable. We designed this study to explore the GDS15 factor structure and the relationships between these factors and cognitive-behavioral aspects. METHODS: The GDS15, cognitive function tests, and the Korean-Neuropsychiatry Inventory were administered to 310 patients with probable AD, who were not medicated before visiting the hospital. Three factors were identified by principal components analysis. A bivariate correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationships between factors and neurocognitive and behavior symptoms. RESULTS: Factor 2 was correlated with the Korean Boston Naming Test, calculating ability, the go-no-go test, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), the Color Word Stroop Test (CWST; words and color), aggression, depression, and apathy. Factor 3 was correlated with calculating ability, the Seoul Verbal Learning Test, immediate recall, copy, and delayed recall on the Rey-Osterieth Complex Figure Test, contrasting on the COWAT, and words and delusion on the CWST. We identified three factors and revealed that the GDS15 may be comprised of a heterogeneous scale. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the GDS15 may be comprised of a heterogeneous scale and suggest multi-dimensional properties of the GDS15 in patients with AD.

Reflexões sobre o uso da escala de depressão geriátrica (GDS-15) em idosos hospitalizados / Reflections about using the geriatric depression scale (GDS-15) in hospitalized aged people

A desordem mental mais comum na terceira idade é a depressão. Os sintomas depressivos nem sempre se apresentam de maneira típica. Nos idosos as queixas somáticas são frequentes e podem ser reforçadas pela hospitalização, tornando os idosos mais suscetíveis ainda a sintomas depressivos. Isso se avigora numa ala geriátrica, onde os pacientes lá internados são muitas vezes mais frágeis, poliqueixosos, e com múltiplas comorbidades. Fundamentado a partir deste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo buscar reflexões críticas sobre o uso da Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (na versão reduzida - GDS-15), amplamente utilizada, como método para avaliar o quadro depressivo em idosos internados numa enfermaria de geriatria. Este estudo é, sobretudo, qualitativo, cuja coleta de informações envolveu a aplicação da escala proposta. Os resultados incitaram discussões acerca da necessidade de reavaliação da confiabilidade da Escala, podendo ser esta pouco suficiente/adequada para medir os sintomas depressivos destes pacientes específicos.

The most common mental disorder in the elderly is depression. Depressive symptoms are not always presented in a typical way. In depressed aged people multiple somatic complaints are frequently and can be reinforced by hospitalization, making the elderly more susceptible to depressive symptoms. This happens quite frequently in a geriatric ward, where patients admitted there are often more fragile, sensitive to pain and soreness, and with multiple comorbidities. Based on this context, this study aimed to look for critical reflections about the use of the Geriatric Depression Scale (reduced version - GDS-15), widely used as an evaluation method for assessing depression in elderly patients in a geriatric ward. This study is especially qualitative, in which the information gathered has involved application of the required scale. The results have prompted discussions about the need to reassess the reliability of the scale, making it not sufficient or appropriated to measure the depressive symptoms of these specific patients.

Depresión en adultos mayores de cuatro hogares geriátricos de Barranquilla (Colombia): prevalencia y factores de riesgo / Depression older adults in four nursing homes of Barranquilla (Colombia): prevalence and risk factors

Resumen Objetivo: Establecer la prevalencia y factores de riesgo para depresión en adultos de 65 - 95 años de centros de cuidado geriátrico de Barranquilla. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal, con análisis de casos y controles. Participaron 66 adultos mayores. Se aplicó encuesta de factores de riesgo, Minimental Test y la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica de Yesavage. Se estudiaron las variables independientes: edad, sexo, nivel educativo, ingresos económicos, fuentes de ingresos, coomorbilidad y tipo, polifarmacia, y tipo de institución. Se realizó análisis bivariado de depresión y las variables independientes. Se efectuó el análisis mediante porcentaje, tendencia central y media y desviación estándar y asociación (Or e IC 95 % y Chi-cuadrado y p). Resultados: La prevalencia de depresión fue de 36.4 %, y predominó la leve (24.2 %). Fueron factores de riesgo: nivel educativo: primaria incompleta (OR: 1,9, IC 95 %:0,02 - 5,43, p: 0,0090) y presentar trastornos neurológicos y psiquiátricos (OR: 6,6, IC 95 %: 1,21 - 35,9, p: 0,0215). Presentaron fuerza de asociación significativa: el sexo masculino y ser soltero. Mostraron fuerza en la asociación no significante, la fuente de ingresos, los ingresos económicos menores de 1 salario mínimo legal vigente (SMLV), la polifarmacia y el tipo de hogar. Conclusiones: La depresión está en un tercio de la población institucionalizada, en este estudio afectó a los adultos con primaria incompleta y algún trastorno neurológico o psiquiátrico. Asimismo, los hombres, los solteros, los que tienen ingresos muy bajos, que provienen de las familias con ingresos menores a 1 salario mínimo, que tienen hipotensión arterial y viven en hogares geriátricos públicos.

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for depression in adults of 65 - 95 years of geriatric care centers in Barranquilla. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study, with case-control analysis. 66 seniors participated. Survey was risk factors and Minimental Test and Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale. Independent variables were studied: age, sex, educational level, income, income sources, associated diseases and type, polypharmacy, and type of institution. It was performed Bivariate analysis was done according depression and the independent variables. Analysis was performed by: percent, average and standard deviation and association (Or and CI 95 % and Chi-square and p). Results: The prevalence of depression was 36.4 % predominantly mild depression (24.2 %). Were established risk factors to have an incomplete primary education level (OR: 1.9, IC 95% 0.02 - 5.43, p: 0, 0090) and present neurological and psychiatric disorders (OR: 6, 6, IC 95 %: 1.21-35.9, p: 0, 0215). Showed significant association strength: male sex and single marital status. Strength showed no significant association, the source of income, income less than 1 SMLV, polypharmacy and the type of home. Conclusions: Depression was found in one third of the institutionalized population, being more affected, adults with incomplete primary education and some neurological or psychiatric disorder. Likewise, men, singles, those with low incomes, which come from families who have low blood pressure and living in public nursing homes.

The Use of the Korean Version of Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K)in the Community Dwelling Elderly in Korea

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the diagnostic validity of the Korean version of short form (15 item version) Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K) was maintained well in the community dwelling elderly. METHODS: In a face-to-face household survey conducted in Korea, 2,004 subjects aged more than 65 were interviewed by trained interviewers. 63 subjects diagnosed as dementia were excluded. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and SGDS-K were administered. Major depressive disorder (MDD) and minor depressive disorder (MnDD) were diagnosed with the diagnostic section of depressive disorder of the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI) according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The sensitivity, the specificity and optimal cut-off point estimation and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis were performed to investigate the diagnostic validity of the SGDS-K to screen MDD and MnDD. The diagnostic validity tests were also compared between two groups (with cognitive impairment and without cognitive impairment) divided by the MMSE scores. RESULTS: We suggest a score of 8 (sensitivity 0.9365, specificity 0.7603) as optimal cut-off score of SGDS-K for screening MDD and a score of 6 (sensitivity 0.7898, specificity 0.6586) as optimal cut-off score for screening both MDD and MnDD. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.900 for screening MDD and 0.797 for both MDD and MnDD. In the community dwelling elderly suffering from cognitive impairment, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.9500, 0.6870 with a cut off score of 8 for screening MDD and 0.8409, 0.5691 with a cut off score of 6 for screening both MDD and MnDD. The AUC was 0.893 for MDD and 0.767 for both MDD and MnDD. CONCLUSION: The SGDS-K was useful in screening MDD, both MDD and MnDD in the community dwelling elderly and also useful in the elderly suffering from cognitive impairment.