INTRODUCTION:

Depression is one of the most common mental-health problems among the elderly individuals, particularly those living in institutional settings such as geriatric or old age homes and it is often under diagnosed and under treated in this population.^1,2 Depression in the elderly has become a common social and economic problem in the world as the life expectancy has grown up.^1,2

As the population grows older, clinicians will begin to see more elderly depressed patient.^3,2,5 Age-related physiological decline, chronic illnesses, reduced social support, and separation from family contribute substantially to emotional distress in older adults.^3,2,6 The Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study reported that depressive symptoms are present in 15 % of community residents over the age of 65 years.⁷ In India, changing family structures and sociocultural dynamics have increased the number of elderly individuals relocating to old age homes, often due to familial conflicts or lack of caregivers.^2,4 Understanding the prevalence of depression and the factors associated with it is crucial for developing targeted mental-health interventions.⁴

In Latur city, there is limited published data on the burden of depression among elderly residents of geriatric homes and on the specific sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with it. Understanding the local prevalence and correlates of depression is essential for planning screening strategies, physiotherapy-based rehabilitation, counseling, and community or family-based interventions tailored to this population. Therefore, this study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of depression among elderly residents of geriatric homes in Latur city and to identify associated demographic, social, and health-related factors using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15).

METHOD: A descriptive study was conducted among 80 elderly residents using a structured questionnaire based on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Data on demographic variables, health status, reason for admission, and depression scores were collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the findings, including mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation of depression scores.

DATA PRESENTATION, STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, RESULTS AND INTERPRETETION:

The present study was designed to explore the Depression and associated factors among residents of Old age home from Latur city. Data collected in this study were tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted using descriptive with the help of SPSS software version 26. Descriptive statistics such as mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation were used to summarize depression scores. The prevalence of depression was calculated as a percentage of the total sample.

The findings are presented under following sections.

SECTION I:	Description of personal variables of Samples.
SECTION II:	Description of Mean Depression scores of the samples.

SECTION I: Description of personal variables of Samples.

The study sample composed of 80 Residents from selected Old age home of Latur city.

Table 1 Frequency and Percentage distribution of Samples according to their Personal variables.

Sl.No

Demographic variables

Frequency

Percentage (%)

Age

a. 60 -70 Yrs

b. 71 – 80 Yrs

c. 81 -90 Yrs

d. 91 – 100 Yrs

38.75

42.50

15.00

03.75

Gender

a. Male

b. Female

42.50

57.50

Nature of Illness

a. Medical Illness

b. Psychiatric Illness

c. Both

d. Free from Illness

06.66

01.66

Medication

a. Yes

b. No

100

Reason for Admission

a. Familial Conflicts

b. Alcohol addiction

c. No one to look after

87.50

03.75

08.75

GDS Score

a. Normal

b. Mild Depression

c. Severe Depression

57.50

37.50

05.00

Figire.no-01: Distribution of Samples according to their Age.

Age: - The data presented in the Table.no-1 and Figure.no-01 shows the age of the samples varied from 60 - 100 years, Majority of the samples i.e 34 (42.50 %) were aged between 71 to 80 yrs followed by 31 (38.75 %) were aged from 60 to 70 years while 12 (15 %) reported to be aged between 81 to 90 yrs and the least 03 (03.75 %) were aged between 90 to 100 yrs.

Gender:

The data presented in the Table.no-01 and Figure.no-02 reveals the distribution of Samples according to their Gender, Majority of the samples i.e 46 (57.50 %) were Female and 34 (42.50 %) were Male.

Figire.no-02: Distribution of Samples according to their Gender.

Nature of Illness:

The data presented in the Table.no-01 and Figure.no-03 reveals the distribution of Samples according to their Nature of Illness, Majority of the samples i.e 71 (88.75 %) reported to suffer from Medical Illness followed by 06 (07.50 %) were reported to suffer from Psychiatric illness while 03 (03.75 %) reported to suffer from both Medical as well as Psychiatric illness and no samples were found to be healthy of free from any kind of illness.

Figire.no-03: Distribution of Samples according to their Nature of Illness.

Medication:

The data presented in the Table.no-01 and Figure.no-04 reveals the distribution of samples according to their Medication, all samples reported of being on some or the other medications.

Figire.no-04: Distribution of Samples according to their Medication.

Reason for Admission:

The data presented in the Table.no-01 and Figure.no-05 reveals the distribution of samples according to their reason for Admission, Majority of the samples 70 (87.50 %) sought admission due to familial conflicts while 07 (08.75 %) sought admission in old age home as there was no body to take care of them and the least 03 (03.75 %) have sought admission due to their Alcoholic addiction.

Figure.no-05: Frequency and Percentage distribution of Samples according to the Reason for Admission.

GDS Scores:

The data presented in the Table.no-01 and Figure.no-06 shows the distribution of Samples according to their GDS scores, Majority of the Samples i.e., 46 (57.50 %) had scores of normal in GDS scale, while 30 (37.50 %) reported to have experienced Moderate levels of Depression, and the least i.e., 04 (05.00 %) reported to have experienced Severe levels of Depression.

Figure.no-06: Frequency and Percentage distribution of Samples according to their GDS Scores.

SECTION II: Description of Mean Depression scores of the Samples.

The mean Depression scores obtained by the samples was tabulated to a master sheet. Mean, standard deviation, median and range of Depression were computed. The findings were presented in the Table 2.

Table – 2 Mean, Standard Deviation, Median, and Range of Stress among Samples. N=80

DEPRESSION SCORES
Mean	Median	Mode	Range	Standard Deviation
04.45	03.00	02	01 - 13	+02.859

The data presented in Table 2 shows the Depression scores among the residents of old age homes of Latur city, The Depression scores ranged from 01-13, while the mean Depression score was 04.45, Median was 03.00 and Mode was 02 with standard deviation ±02.859.

DISCUSSION:

The study was conducted to find out the prevalence rate of Depression among Residents of Old age homes of Latur City. The present study includes 80 samples which includes both genders i.e., male and female, Samples responded to the questionnaires which was based on 15-GDS scale.

In our study, Majority samples belonged to the age category of 71 to 80 years which constituted around 42.50 % (34) and the least belonged to the age group of 90 to 100 years with 03.75 % (03), while Gender wise majority belonged to Female gender with 57.50 % (46) and male constituted 42.50 % (34), Nature of Illness wise, Majority suffered from Medical Illness i.e., 88.75 % (71) coming to Medications all samples 100% (80) reported to consume drugs for their ailments while in case of Reasons for Admission in Old age home, majority of the samples i.e., 87.50 % (70) of them have reported Familial conflicts as reasons for admission in Old age home.

The Prevalence rate of Depression among the residents of Old-age home was found to be 42.50 % , while some associated factors too contributed the Depression among samples, in case of Age it was observed residents who were aged between 90 to 100 years had highest prevalence with 100% while Female were more prone to develop depression compared to male counterparts with prevalence rate 45.65 % coming to Nature of Illness it was found that residents who suffered from Medical related illness had higher prevalence rate of Depression accounting for 85.50% and Familial conflicts was found to influence. This finding aligns with numerous studies both in India and internationally that document moderate to high rates of depression among institutionalized elderly, emphasizing the vulnerability of this population group And, These findings underscore the need for routine mental health screening in geriatric homes, integration of psychosocial support services, and targeted interventions such as counseling, recreational therapy, and medical management.

CONCLUSION:

The study concludes that depression is a significant mental health concern among residents of old age homes in Latur city, with an overall prevalence of 42.5%. Age, female gender, chronic medical illness, and familial conflicts were important factor associated with depression in this population. The findings highlight that the regular psychological screening, early interventions, strengthened family involvement, and improved geriatric mental health services are crucial to enhance the well-being of institutionalized elderly individuals.

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2. Swathi GS. Death anxiety, death depression, geriatric depression and suicidal ideation among institutionalized and noninstitutionalized elders. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. 2014 Oct; 4(10):356-64.

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Received on 07.01.2026 Revised on 09.02.2026

Accepted on 04.03.2026 Published on 25.04.2026

Available online from April 28, 2026

Research J. Science and Tech. 2026; 18(2):151-155.

DOI: 10.52711/2349-2988.2026.00021

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