Depression: Determinants That Influence the Mental Health of Older People (60 Years +) in Botswana

Abstract

Correlates of depression in older people were explored in this study. The prevalence of depression was also calculated. Data were collected using a cross-sectional study stratified by district in urban and rural Botswana using the Patient Health Questionnaire. A snowballing technique was utilized to recruit older participants ( N = 378; age = 71.8; SD = 9.1) with low to high incomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the associations among demographics, individual, social, and environmental factors, and depression. The prevalence of depression and social impairment in older people was 7.8% and 20.6%. The correlates significantly associated with depression in Model 2 were education, income earned, resilience, and self-esteem (F (6, 358) = 19.5, p < .001; R2 = 23%) after adjusting for all influencing factors. Self-perceived health was associated with depression in Model 3 [F (11,340) = 12.5, p < .001; R2 = 28%]. In the final model, resilience, quality of life (QOL), and leisure were significantly associated with depression ( p < .001), followed by anxiety, somatic symptoms, and social impairment ( p < .05) [F (20,214) = 9.2, p < .001; R2 = 46%]. Findings provide preliminary information on the determinants of depression for further review by the research community. Stakeholders should also take cognizance of these correlates during their practice to curb depression in older people.

Examining the relationship between depression and medication adherence among elderlies suffering from cardiovascular disease referring to the clinics affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences: A cross‐sectional study

“…The quality of life of the elderly especially their psychological health would be affected through the personal and social changes they face at the beginning and in the course of the aging period. 1,33 Meanwhile, depression is one of the most important consequences of CVD, which can increase mortality by up to 20% in these patients. 18 In this study, 53.8% of the elderly suffered from varying levels of depression, and the mean depression score in the elderly felt into the mild category.…”

“…The results of this study indicated that depression can lower the medication adherence in the elderlies suffering from CVD by up to 26%. The quality of life of the elderly especially their psychological health would be affected through the personal and social changes they face at the beginning and in the course of the aging period 1,33 . Meanwhile, depression is one of the most important consequences of CVD, which can increase mortality by up to 20% in these patients 18 .…”

“…The scoring scale of this questionnaire is of 6-point Likert scale type, including absolutely, very much, much, little, very little, and not at all, scored from 0 to 5, respectively. Items 25,26,33,34,35,37,38,39, and 40 have been reverse scored. Based on their acquired scores, the subjects would fall into one of the four following categories: poor medication adherence (0%-25%), moderate medication adherence (26%-49%), good medication adherence (50%-75%), and medication adherence (76%-100%).…”

Incidence of depression among community‐dwelling older adults: A systematic review

“…In another systematic review, this time investigating depression in people 50 years old and over, the authors identified five risk factors, in brief: bereavement, sleep disturbances, disabilities, history of previous depression, and female gender 7 . Twenty years on from this review, it appears that variables such as quality of life and loneliness may play an important role in the development of depression in older adults 8,9 …”

“…7 Twenty years on from this review, it appears that variables such as quality of life and loneliness may play an important role in the development of depression in older adults. 8,9 Regarding what is known about the incidence, in a systematic review, after the inclusion of 20 articles in which adults were 70 years old or more, the authors observed a variation in the incidence values according to the classification of the depressive spectrum. Thus, for 'major depression', the incidence ranged from 1.7% to 7.6%, while for 'depressive symptoms', the upper limit of total incidence ranged from 19% to 22%.…”