Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depressive Symptoms and Major Depressive Disorder among the Oldest-old in India

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of major depressive disorder (MDD) and depressive symptoms among individuals aged 80 and older in India, as there is limited research on this demographic in low- and middle-income countries. Using data from the 2017-2018 Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), which included 3163 community-dwelling participants, the researchers evaluated MDD and depressive symptoms. The findings revealed that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 34.8% and MDD was 10.3%. Factors significantly increasing the odds of depressive symptoms included higher food insecurity, lower subjective economic status, lower self-rated health, lower life satisfaction, higher functional disability, physical inactivity, and higher perceived discrimination. For MDD, increased odds were associated with higher food insecurity, lower self-rated health, higher functional disability, and higher perceived discrimination. The study concluded that depression is prevalent among the oldest-old in India, emphasizing the need for appropriate intervention strategies.