Psychiatric Morbidity Among Patients Attending a Geriatric Clinic in a Tertiary Care Centre
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v28i3.899Keywords:
Geriatric psychiatry, Depression, Cognitive impairment, ElderlyAbstract
Background: Population ageing is increasing rapidly in India, leading to a growing burden of chronic medical illnesses and psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric morbidity in the elderly significantly impacts quality of life and functional independence, yet remains under-recognized in general medical settings.
Objectives:
- To estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among elderly patients attending a geriatric clinic.
- To identify socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with psychiatric morbidity.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 275 elderly patients aged ≥60 years. Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed using MINI-PLUS. Cognitive function, depression, functional ability, vascular component, and stress were assessed using HMSE, GDS-15, EASI, Hachinski Ischemic Score, and Perceived Stress Scale respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v24.
Results: Psychiatric morbidity was present in 62.9% of participants. Depression (23.6%) was the most common disorder, followed by cognitive impairment (11.3%). Depression showed significant associations with increasing age (p=0.008), lower education (p=0.047), visual impairment (p=0.027), and higher perceived stress (p=0.0001).
Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity is highly prevalent among geriatric patients. Routine screening and integration of mental health services into geriatric care are essential.
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