Swapnil Agrawal1, Aftab Ahmed Khan2
BACKGROUND
With recent advancement in health facility, both in urban and rural population,
ratio of elderly people has increased and due to this apart from physical illness,
mental health is also emerged as an important public health challenge. Psychiatric
disorders such as depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders and substance use
disorders were commonly found in elderly specially living alone and in care homes.
The primary purpose of this study was to compare mental health of elderly people
living in care homes with those living with family in Kota (Hadoti region,
Rajasthan).
METHODS
This is a cross-sectional comparative study that was carried out in 50 elderly
people living in care homes and 50 elderly people living with family. Both groups
were screened for psychiatric disorders using general health questionnaire (GHQ
– 12). Comparison was made under various headings between these groups
including severity. Obtained data were analysed by using proportion, mean,
standard deviation, chi-square, and Pearson correlation.
RESULTS
No statistically significant difference was found in having psychiatric disorders on
screening with GHQ - 12. Difference in these groups for prevalence and severity
was not statistically significant for depression and anxiety although significant
higher mean of total geriatric depression score (GDS) score in control (10.74 ±
2.56) than in cases (9.38 ± 2.36) and total Hamilton’s anxiety rating scale (HAM
– A) score was seen in case group (24.53 ± 3.50) than in controls (23.15 ± 2.34).
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, it was found out that psychiatry morbidity was higher among elderly
population living in old age home when compared to elders living with family in
community. Possible reason for higher psychiatric morbidity in old age home group
in our study appears to be because of lack of family support, pain of being
separated from their children whom they cared and nurtured for their whole life.
In psychiatric morbidity we found that depression was the most common disorder
in elderly population in both groups.
