Depression in Medically Ill Geriatric Patients – A Study of Predictive Factors.

INTRODUCTION: The word geriatrics is derived from the Greek word geron (old man) and Latros (medical care). This means medical care of the elderly people. Geriatrics Is concerned with people who are aged or aging, requiring medical care. Aging Is a total constellation of social, psychological and biological changes that Occur in later life. Aging confronts the individual with physical and mental changes with Changes in roles that have been central to view of oneself throughout life. The Extent to which one can accept oneself and the part that determines one’s Happiness in later years and the degree with which one can face inevitability of Disability and may be death. Old age is a time of losses. It is a stage of life when an individual Gradually or suddenly loses his vigor, physiological resources of body Functions, occupation, friends and spouse or may be even independence. Demographic ageing is a global phenomenon. India has a booming Population of above one billion people; the second most populous country in The world and improved life expectancy have led to an increasingly large Number of people over the age of 60. There are now 77 million elderly people In India and this number is expected to rise to 100 million in 2013 and to 198 Million in 2030. Both physical and psychiatric morbidity have been reported to be high Among the elderly populations (Maguire et al 1968, Mehroa et al 1979, Venkoba Roa and Madhavan 1882). It has been estimated that 8.9% of elderly Persons in India are having psychiatric illness in the geriatric age group (Ramachandran and Menon 1980; Venkoba Rao 1986). Depression is the commonest psychiatric illness in the elderly and Various factors unique to old age play a role in the occurrence of depression. Post (1972) commented that “every depressive attack is an individual affair. It Is not infrequently characterized by different symptom complexes at different Times during the life of the same person. On each separate occasion, the illness Should be regarded as an individual affair multifactor ally compounded”. This Is particularly true for the elderly. Old age has been described as a ‘season of Loss’ and depressive reactions as response to losses, including inevitable decline In physical vigor, mental agility, income, loss of loved ones. Although various studies have been conducted in the west, to establish a Relationship between various factors and depression occurring in old age, this Area remains relatively unexplored by the Indian scientists, which is evidenced By the paucity of literature. To summarize it can be said that the geriatric age group is a significant Population subgroup, which is growing relatively rapidly. Elderly people have Mental illness especially depression in sizeable numbers. As they age, they Suffer from medical illnesses, physical disability resulting in dependence and Important life events. All these variables seem to interact in a complex way. Assessment of these variables may play an important role in management of Depression as well as in health promotion and prevention of depression in this Population. Hence the present study proposes to study these three important Variables namely life events, social support, disability in medically ill elderly People