Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its associated factors among elderly in private nursing homes in Kuantan

• Main Authors: Md Aris, Mohd Aznan, Mazlan, Mazilah, Mohd Rus, Razman, Samsudin, Suhaiza
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: R Medicine (General); RA Public aspects of medicine; RZ Other systems of medicine
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/95855/19/95855_Prevalence%20of%20depressive%20symptoms_book%20programme.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/95855/20/95855_Prevalence%20of%20depressive%20symptoms_slides.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/95855/
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Introduction: mental health constitutes a major component of the global burden of disease worldwide. Residing in a nursing home poses a greater challenge for the elderly physically and mentally. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its associated factors among elderly in private nursing homes in Kuantan. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at thirteen private nursing homes in Kuantan. 115 elderly residents aged 60 years old and above were recruited to complete the interview-based questionnaire. Participants were assessed with the Malay Geriatric Depression Scale(M-GDS-14), Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ), and Modified Barthel Index(MBI). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics was used to measure the prevalence and logistic regression to explore the association of depressive symptoms with the background variables. Results: The mean age of respondents was 74.1(SD ± 8.87) and the majority were Chinese (67%) and male (51.4%). The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 40% with 23.5% being major depression and 16.5% of clinically significant depression. This study revealed a significant association between depressive symptoms with chronic disease {AOR 3.956, CI 95% (1.071-14.608)}, cognitive impairment {AOR 3.185, CI 95% (1.325-7.655)}, and functional disabilities {AOR 4.314, CI 95% (1.799-10.345)}. Conclusion: This study revealed more than 1/3 of the elderly in nursing homes living with depressive symptoms. Residents with chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, and functionally dependent should receive greater attention as early recognition and intervention are crucial to prevent further disability and dysfunction.