Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Depression Among the Older Adults in Sundarharaincha Municipality of Eastern Nepal.

IntroductionThe world's older adult population is rising rapidly, leading to an increase in mental health problems such as geriatric depression, which has mainly been studied in high-income countries. Similar studies are scarce in low- and middle-income countries like Nepal. So, this study aims to determine the prevalence of depression and its predictors among the older adults living in Sundarharainha Municipality, Morang.MethodsA cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted using the Validated Nepali version of the Geriatric Depression Scale short form (GDS-15) to identify geriatric depression among the older adults (≥60 years). Those scoring >5 on GDS-15 were considered depressed. Logistic Regression Analysis explored the associations of geriatric depression with potential predictor variables.ResultsOf the 417 selected older adult participants, more than half were males (52.0%), the majority were illiterate (57.6%), and approximately two-thirds were married (66.7%). The prevalence of geriatric depression was found to be 62.4%. Geriatric depression was significantly associated with gender, marital status, level of education, occupation status, limited time provided by families, chronic physical health problems, and exposure to verbal and/or physical abuse. In logistic regression analysis, geriatric depression was significantly associated with educational status (AOR 3.25), family types (AOR 3.75), perceived respect from family (AOR 2.05), financial support (AOR 2.01), sleep quality (AOR 3.26), and seeking professional help (AOR 1.80).ConclusionGeriatric depression is highly prevalent in Sundarharaicha Municipality, Nepal. The findings call for the urgent prioritization of the delivery of mental health care services to older adults in the country.