Signs of depression in the elderly relationship between depression and sociodemographic characteristics

BACKGROUND The elderly experience changes and problems of biologic, psychologic and social dimensions that affect each other. When they are not able to cope with all of these changes there are many emotional disorders that occur in the elderly. One of the most frequently seen disorder is major depression. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the symptoms of depression in elderly and determining the relationship between sign of depression and sociodemographic factors. METHOD A survey was used in a face-to-face interview method with a group of elderly who were 65 years and older. The questionnaire contained questions about their sociodemographic characteristics. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to evaluate for signs of depression. FINDINGS 53.2% of the elderly had general symptoms of depression and 10.3% severe level of depression. The mean depressive scores of female were higher than those of male. CONCLUSION By calculating the score for signs of depression in the elderly, depression risks can be determined and health care can be provided at an early stage and it will be effective in helping them achieve a higher quality of life. Those who provide primary care and home care services can use this approach to evaluate the elderly for depression