Association between Depression and Quality of Life among Institutionalized Older Adults in Kurunegala District

Abstract

Background: Prevalence of depression is higher among older adults 60 years in the world. Depression is a serious medical illness that negatively affect physical health and psychological health. The association between quality of life (QoL) and depression in institutionalized older adults has not been adequately studied in Sri Lanka. Objectives: To assess the association between depression and QoL among institutionalized older adults in Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in five elderly homes in Kurunegala district. The population was composed of 164 residents and their socio demographic data were collected by using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Geriatric depression, QoL and mental status were assessed by using Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), World Health Organization Quality of life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: A total of 164 older adults were recruited for the study. According to MMSE, the sample of 56 (34.1%) was excluded as their cognitive impairment. Other 108 (65.9%) of subject were used as the final sample. The majority (n=64, 59.3%) of study sample was in the age category of 70-79 years and 63.9% were female. About 69% of institutionalized older adults had depression. Among them, 35% had mild depression, 25% had moderate depression and 9% had severe depression. The mean (SD) of the total QoL scores was higher in older adults without depression compared to older adults with depression [57.6 (±3.7) vs 40.0 (±3.9), p<0.004]. Conclusions: This study found that there is a relationship between depression and QoL among institutionalized older adults in Kurunegala district. Therefore, QoL among older adults can be improved by improving their psychological health status. Furthermore, these study findings can be used as a baseline to plan preventive strategies for enhancing health status of the study population.