Volume: 12 Issue: 2
Year: 2024, Page: 41-46, Doi: https://doi.org/10.47799/pimr.1202.08
Received: May 10, 2024 Accepted: May 10, 2024 Published: Aug. 12, 2024
Older adults living in long-term care facilities, such as old age homes, often face a range of physical and mental health challenges that can significantly impact their overall well-being. Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity, physical illness, and coping strategies in old age home residents in Visakhapatnam, India. Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 300 consenting residents. Standardized tools, namely the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the six-item version of Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-6), and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for diagnosing psychiatric disorders as per DSM-V criteria, were used to assess mental health. The Coping Checklist by Kiran Rao was also used. Results: Significant psychiatric morbidity was found in 15.33% of residents, with depression being the most prevalent disorder. Females, widowed individuals, those from urban backgrounds, and residents of nuclear families were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Physical illness was identified in 70% of the participants. Conclusion: This study highlights a considerable burden of psychiatric illness and physical health problems among residents of old age homes. Furthermore, it suggests that specific demographic factors are associated with an increased risk of depression. These findings emphasize the need for comprehensive mental and physical healthcare services within old age homes, with tailored interventions for vulnerable populations.
Keywords: Psychiatric morbidity, Coping strategy, Physical illness, Geriatric health
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©2024 (M Pavana Lalitha) et al. This is an open-access journal, and arƟcles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.
Pavana Lalitha M, Swathi P, Vijaya Lakshmi M, Manasa Ram V, Chakravarthy BS, Suresh Kumar G, Kaivalya G. Prevalence of Psychiatric Morbidity, Physical Illness, and Coping Strategies in Residents at Old Age Homes: A Cross-SecƟonal Study. Perspectives in Medical Research. 2024;12(2):41-46 DOI: 10.47799/pimr.1202.08