Comparative study of occurrence of depression in the third age in closed and open structures of elderly care according to the Hamilton depression scale

Depression is a serious mental disorder that is a leading cause of morbidity in the elderly and affects the daily lives of the elderly leading to the marginalization and stigmatization. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression in the elderly, both in the community and in closed structures and identify possible differences between these two groups. Material and Method: The studied population consisted of 200 elderly people. One hundred of them came from closed structure care (nursing home) and the remaining 100 by Open Care Centres (KAPI). For data collection, a specially designed questionnaire that included demographic data, information about their health and their daily habits and Depression Scale Hamilton, were used. Results: The majority of the sample (50.5%) was men. Depressive symptomatology was showed by 44% (31% mild and 13% moderate). The men of the nursing home had greater depression than men of KAPI and showed a greater percentage of women (27.3 % mild and 12.1 % moderate), with women of the nursing home outweighing the percentages of those in KAPI. Depressive symptomatology exhibited by widowers, people with multiple pathology and those who did not exercise, with rates of 61.5%, 34.6% and 73.1% respectively. Big difference appeared between closed and open structure, where the elderly in nursing home seemed to show greater depression by 53%, versus 35% of those in KAPI. Conclusions: Gender, marital status, presence of pathology, exercise and living in closed structures of care, seem to influence the occurrence of depression in the elderly.

Keywords: Nursing Home, KAPI, depression, elderly