Abstract
Context:: There are many factors which compelled older adults to live in old age homes (OAHs) and vulnerable to psychological problems. Studies reported high prevalence of mental health problems (20%60%) among elderlies of OAHs. Therefore, the study was conducted to explore prevalence of psychiatric illness (PI) among residents of OAHs of Northern India. Settings and Design:: The present study was conducted in OAHs of Districts Bareilly, Lucknow, Varanasi, Dehradun, and Haridwar, using cross-sectional descriptive study method. Sample Size were 306 (male 98 [32.5%] and female n = 208 [68%]) residing in OAHs selected by means of purposive sampling. Subjects and Methods:: Inclusion criteria: (a) older adults aged 60 years and above residing in OAHs and able to communicate. (b) Staying in OAHs for 6 months or more. (c) Able to understand comprehends and reply to questions and (d) Giving written informed consent. Exclusion criteria: (a) Residents who declined/not interested to participate in the study. (b) Residents having any sensory impairment/physical health problem which can impede the interview. Research tools were (i) a semi-structured pro forma, (ii) Hindi Mental Status Examination, (iii) Survey psychiatric assessment schedule, and (iv) Schedules for clinical assessment in neuropsychiatry-based clinical interview for diagnosis of PIs according to International Classification of Disease 10. Statistical Analysis Used:: The quantitative data obtained was analyzed by means of frequency tables. Results:: The results show overall prevalence of PI is 43% among residents of OAHs. The prevalence of PI was found to be higher among females compared to males. Depression was the most common among the residents of OAHs. Conclusions:: There is an urgent need of trained professionals to provide professional help for highly prevalent psychiatric disorders among residents of OAHs.
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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License, which permits unrestricted reproduction and distribution, for non-commercial purposes only; and use and reproduction, but not distribution, of adapted material for non-commercial purposes only, provided the original work is properly cited.
