By 2050, one in five people in Bangladesh will be aged 60 years or older. Despite this rapid demographic transition, evidence on the prevalence and patterns of mental disorders among community-dwelling older adults in low- and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, remains limited. This study aimed to estimate the community prevalence, patterns, and associated sociodemographic and familial factors of mental disorders among older adults, and to assess the treatment gap. Data were drawn from a nationally representative household survey including 7,270 adults, of whom 963 were aged 60 years and above, selected through a multistage random sampling method. The World Health Organization’s Self-Reporting Questionnaire-24 (SRQ-24), a screening tool for current mental health problems, was used for initial assessment. Participants who screened positive were subsequently interviewed face-to-face by psychiatrists, and diagnoses were made according to DSM-5 criteria. The overall weighted prevalence of any current mental disorder among older adults was 28.0% (95% CI: 24.0–32.5), which was higher than the 17.4% observed among the younger (18–59 years) population. The most prevalent conditions were depressive disorders (11.6%), anxiety disorders (4.8%), somatic symptom disorders (3.8%), and neurocognitive disorders (2.3%). Widowhood, unemployment, and family history of mental illness were significantly associated with higher odds of mental disorders. Only 5.1% of affected older adults had ever received treatment, with utilization higher among the younger-old and urban residents. These findings underscore the need to improve mental health literacy and integrate screening and basic mental health services into primary care and community settings.
Alam et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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