ABSTRACT Background: Depression among older adults is often underrecognized and undertreated, leading to significant physical morbidities. Depression in older adults can have significant implications, such as cognitive decline, suicide risk, impairment in activities of daily living (ADL), and socialization. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the burden of depression among residents of old age homes and examine its association with impaired ADL. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design was used, involving 60 participants from three old age homes in West Bengal. Participants were screened for self-reported multimorbidity, depression, and ADL impairment. Statistical analysis was performed using Jamovi software. Results: Twenty-one participants (46.6%) screened positive for depression, 19 (31.6%) had moderate ADL impairment, and 3 (5%) had severe impairment. Depression was significantly associated with multimorbidity ( P = 0.006). Depression and ADL impairment have no statistically significant relationship. Conclusion: The findings highlight that depression is common among institutionalized older adults and is closely linked to multimorbidity. Addressing depression and optimizing care for multimorbidity should be prioritized by administrators and health officials.
Kumar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.