Prevalence of depressive symptoms among elderly people attending primary health-care centers in Port Said Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Although geriatric depression is widespread in primary health care (PHC), local studies on the prevalence of depression in elderly PHC patients appear to be scarce. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and some of the associated risk factors among elderly PHC patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study recruiting elderly people (60 years or older) from five PHC centers in Port Said Governorate was conducted. All participants had a structured interview. The long version of the geriatric depression Scale (cut-off point ≥10) was used in elders with a Mini-Mental State Examination ≥24. Results: About two-thirds of the total sample (65.7%) was female. The total prevalence of depressive symptoms was 49.4% of all subjects, more commonly in women (58.1% vs. 32.8%). Multiple regression analysis shows that female gender, high education, unemployment, low income, lonely life, loss of a close person, chronic diseases, tumor, iatrogenic medications, and depression history were the significant associated risk factors of depression in the studied elders after adjusting all previous variables in addition to age and marital status. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms constitute a significant health problem among older PHC patients in the Port Said governorate. Routine screening for depression of every elderly PHC patient is recommended for early detection.