Depression, Stress and Anxiety among Elderly People

Abstract

Aging is normally associated with a decrease in physical and mental abilities and mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress are among the most common health problems in elders that affect the quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine the level of stress, anxiety and depression among elderly people. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on older adults who attended in the elderly day care center in Tehran (Iran) from September 2015 to June 2016 and interviewed 100 elderly persons. We used simple random sampling technique from a list of registered elderly individuals and conducted face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) standard questionnaires was used for data collection. The SPSS software was used for all computations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic, t-test, and one-way ANOVA. P < 0.05 was determined to be significant. The majority of the participants were women 76% with the mean age of 63.37±4.32 years and stress was higher in women in compare to men. The results of this study indicated stress prevail among the elderly. Therefore, more attention is deserved in these aspects. Moreover, appropriate measures need to be taken to improve the mental health of elderly people.