Ali Syed Roshan, Patra Manas
Community Medicine, Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Jul 23;16(7):e65169. doi: 10.7759/cureus.65169. eCollection 2024 Jul.
Background Depression, anxiety, and stress are leading causes of disability worldwide and major contributors to suicide. The burden of these disorders among the Indian geriatric population is often described as a silent epidemic. The sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified this public health problem. Finding out factors associated with poor mental health is critical to improving overall healthcare for high-risk patients, especially in underserved and inaccessible communities. Aim This study was conducted to measure the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress and their sociodemographic correlates among the Indian geriatric patient population. This study also aimed to assess the coping strategies employed and difficulties faced by the population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire. A total of 107 participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the Bangla version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21 BV), a 21-item self-reported questionnaire. Results Of the sampled group, 43.9%, 32.7%, and 34.6% were moderately to extremely severely depressed, anxious, and stressed, respectively. Factors associated with worse mental health were increasing age, female gender, living separately from their spouses, unemployment, retirement, or any occupation that did not require one to leave their house. Of the sample population, 80.3% had experienced a loss of income due to the pandemic. The most frequently used coping strategy was to solve problems they faced daily, closely followed by praying and participating in religious activities. Conclusion Depression, anxiety, and stress showed a higher prevalence than previously described, before the pandemic. This could be due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study also demonstrated some of the factors associated with and the most commonly used ways to tackle poor mental health. Adequate educational awareness programmes that are accessible in different regional languages, strengthening mental health infrastructure, and community mental health services will significantly improve outcomes, especially among high-risk populations.
抑郁、焦虑和压力是全球致残的主要原因，也是自杀的主要因素。这些疾病在印度老年人群体中的负担常被描述为一场无声的流行病。新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）大流行的突然出现只会加剧这一公共卫生问题。找出与心理健康不佳相关的因素对于改善高危患者的整体医疗保健至关重要，尤其是在服务不足和难以到达的社区。目的：本研究旨在测量印度老年患者群体中抑郁、焦虑和压力的患病率及其社会人口学相关因素。本研究还旨在评估该群体在COVID-19大流行期间采用的应对策略和面临的困难。方法：使用预先设计和预先测试的问卷进行横断面调查。通过便利抽样共招募了107名参与者。使用孟加拉语版的抑郁、焦虑和压力量表（DASS-21 BV）（一份21项的自我报告问卷）来测量抑郁、焦虑和压力。结果：在抽样组中，分别有43.9%、32.7%和34.6%的人患有中度至极度严重的抑郁、焦虑和压力。与较差心理健康相关的因素包括年龄增长、女性、与配偶分开居住、失业、退休或任何无需离家的职业。在样本人群中，80.3%的人因大流行而收入减少。最常用的应对策略是解决他们每天面临的问题，其次是祈祷和参加宗教活动。结论：抑郁、焦虑和压力的患病率高于大流行前先前描述的水平。这可能是由于COVID-19大流行的影响。我们的研究还展示了一些与心理健康不佳相关的因素以及应对心理健康问题最常用的方法。提供以不同地区语言提供的充分教育宣传项目、加强心理健康基础设施和社区心理健康服务将显著改善结果，尤其是在高危人群中。
