The relationship between social and demographic factors and prevalence of depression among over 60 years old individuals, Shiraz, Iran

Introduction: Depression is one of the prevalent disorders of present century and is the
forth costly disorder in the world so that with no doubt it will be the second expensive world
disorder in 2015. Some demographic and social factors among the elderly, may cause their
depression. This study looks into the relationship between social and demographic factors as
well as prevalence of depression among over 60 years old individuals in elderly centers in
Shiraz, 2009.
Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 over 60 years old patients (100 women and 20
men) in two different social welfare centers in Shiraz were carried out. 60 people from
each center were selected randomly. Beck depression questionnaire and a questionnaire
for demographic characteristics of the patients were used to collect the data. Data were
analyzed using t-test and correlation coefficient.
Results: Of the total cases, 65% (78 cases) percent showed mild depression, 25.83% (31
cases) were medium and 9.17% (11 cases) represented as severe depression. Significant
relationship was found between marital status, age, activity, income and depression. There
was no significant relationship between depression and literacy or number of children.
Conclusion: Findings indicate that some demographic and social characteristics among the
elderly can increase or decrease the possibility of their depression. Identification of these
factors, and appropriate solutions would affect the level and severity of depression.