Psychiatric Morbidity in Old Age Homes: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Inmates of old age homes have received less attention in research than those residing in community especially in India

Objectives: This study assesses the sociodemographic factors, physical illnesses, psychiatric morbidity, coping strategies, stressful life events of inmates residing in old age home.

Method: A cross-sectional study, elderly inmates of two branches of old age home in Saroor nagar in Hyderabad who fulfilled inclusion criteria, were given GHQ, MINI, MMSE, PSLES, CCL, and GDS and modified Kuppuswamy scale for socioeconomic status. The two groups were compared using appropriate statistical results.

Results: The prevalence of depression in current study was 26%,GAD was found in 2%,Psychosis in 2%, Cognitive impairment was found in 10%.The risk factors for depression in our study are female sex,   widowed status, urban back ground , nuclear family,  low socioeconomic status,  lesser education.  All inmates  were found to have physical illness(100%).Subjects with mental illness used emotion focused ,denial  subtype coping strategy  those without mental illness use d more religious subtype .subjects with mental illness used less of problem solving   and problem and emotion solving coping    than those with out mental illness.  Stressful life events are more in those with mental illness than those with out mental illness. There was no association between medical and psychiatric morbidity. GDRS scores were significantly higher in depressed inmates rarely visited by family members.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for more epidemiological studies to improve mental health care among this growing set of population. Nuclear family appears to be risk factor for depression.