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Yingrat Naviganuntana,1 Nitchawan Kerdcharoen,1 Petch Rawdaree2 1Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, ThailandCorrespondence: Nitchawan Kerdcharoen, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, 10300, Thailand, Tel +66-2-24-3186, Email nitchawan@nmu.ac.thBackground: Depression is one of the most significant mental illnesses in the elderly population. Societal and economic changes in the social structure, particularly in urban communities, have led to a tendency toward depression in the elderly. Therefore, understanding the factors associated with depression among the elderly living in urban areas in Thailand is important to prevent and mitigate depression.Objective: To investigate the proportion of depression and its associated factors in the elderly living in Bangkok.Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study with a sample size of 888 people living in Thai urban communities, including those in slum, urban, suburban, and high-rise building areas. A two-parts questionnaire was used: 1) the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS) to assess depression and 2) associated factors.Results: The overall percentage of depression in the sample population was 7.3%, and the proportion of depression was associated with community density (p = 0.031). The factors significantly associated with depression in the elderly included anxiety about an underlying disease [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 7.51; 95% CI 3.47– 16.27], family conflict (AOR = 6.30; 95% CI 1.34– 29.55), family history of psychiatric illness (AOR = 5.78; 95% CI 2.35– 14.21), financial problems (AOR = 3.81; 95% CI 2.08– 6.98), living separately from a spouse (AOR = 3.31; 95% CI 1.22– 8.98), and less or no activity participation (AOR = 3.09; 95% CI 1.32– 7.26 and AOR = 3.02; 95% CI 1.29– 7.09).Conclusion: To mitigate depression in the elderly, attention should be given to any underlying medical disease. The community also should promote more activities accessible to the elderly, especially income-earning activities. These activities might promote better relationships or ease conflict among elderly and other family members.Keywords: elderly, depression, urban, Bangkok |
