An exploration of the predictors of depression and anxiety in older people (60+years) using secondary data collected from the Malawi longitudinal study on families and health
Depression and anxiety are amongst the common mental health problems amongst the elderly population and contributes greatly to poor quality of their life. Depression alone was projected to become the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults by the year 2020. A better understan...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
2022
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| Online Access: | http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw/handle/20.500.12845/631 |
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Add Tag | Summary: | Depression and anxiety are amongst the common mental health problems amongst the elderly population and contributes greatly to poor quality of their life. Depression alone was projected to become the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults by the year 2020. A better understanding of these two conditions is vital for planning appropriate interventions for such special populations. However, there are limited studies focusing on these conditions in low and middle-income countries including Malawi. The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence and predictors of depression and anxiety amongst older persons (≥ 60 years) in Malawi. A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing secondary data collected by the Malawi Longitudinal study on families and health. Data was extracted from the parent study on depression and anxiety utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire module 9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety module 7 (GAD-7) respectively. Chi-Square test and logistic regression explored the association between the two conditions and the social as well as physiological variables. Data was analyzed using Stata version 14.0. Mean age was 72 years with SD of 8.5. Overall, about 24.69% (n=200) of participants were depressed with 40.49% having minimal depression, 26.47% mild depression, 9.01% moderate depression, and 2.43% having moderate to severe depression. On the other hand, about 19.63% had anxiety, with 24.53% (n=171) having mild anxiety, 5.16% (n=36) moderate anxiety, and 1.43% (n=10), a severe form of anxiety. Marital status (widows, divorced), having high blood pressure, experiencing pain, and age were found to be predictors of both anxiety and depression.
There is a need for programs that can effectively address the needs of older adults focusing on both physical and mental wellbeing in Malawi. |
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