Psychiatric and Physical Morbidity in an Urban Geriatric Population

A door to door survey was undertaken in a municipal ward and all the 202 consenting elderly persons were interviewed, physically examined and rating scales were applied. The prevalence of psychiatric and physical disorders was 30.69% & 69.8% respectively. Major psychiatric diagnoses were dementia, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol dependence and bipolar disorder. The commonest physical illness was visual impairment, followed by cardiovascular disease, rheumatic illnesses, pulmonary illnesses, hearing impairment, genitourinary diseases and neurological disorders. Dementia was associated with increased age, single/widowed or separated status, nuclear family, economic dependence, low education, cardiovascular, rheumatic and neurological disorders. Depression was associated with female sex, single/widowed or separated status, nuclear families, economic dependence, co-morbid physical illnesses, specifically cardiovascular disorders and visual impairment. This study presented a higher rate of dementia and old age depression. The interesting association with several sociodemographic factors as well as physical illnesses may have important implications for health planning.