South African Journal of Psychiatry (Jun 2024)

Demographic and clinical correlates of depression among older adults with arthritis in Nigeria

  • Yesiru A. Kareem,
  • Placidus N. Ogualili,
  • Kehinde A. Alatishe,
  • Ismail O. Adesina,
  • Fatima A. Ali,
  • Taiwo A. Alatishe,
  • Richard Uwakwe

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v30i0.2264
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 30, no. 0
pp. e1 – e7

Abstract

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Background: Older adults have a high prevalence of chronic conditions like arthritis with morbidities, especially depression ranging up to 40% – 70%. Therefore, it is important to explore depression in older adults with arthritis. Aim: This study aimed to determine if any demographic and clinical factors are associated with depression in older adults aged ≥ 60 years with arthritis attending a rheumatology clinic. Setting: This is a cross-sectional study conducted over 6 months among 127 older adults on follow-up care in a university teaching hospital in the North-Eastern region of Nigeria. Methods: A clinical proforma with information about the type of arthritis, duration of illness, hospitalisation, use of medications, co-morbidity was utilised for the data collection. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30), sociodemographic questionnaire and clinical proforma were administered. Data were analysed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 26.0 with the level of significance set as 0.05. Results: The mean age (± standard deviation [s.d.]) was 66.6 (± 5.5) years, with males constituting 57.5%. The prevalence of depression was 57.8%. Osteoarthritis 30.2%, while 69.8% had rheumatoid arthritis. Sociodemographic factors associated with depression include age (p = 0.049), marital status (p = 0.001), and level of education (p = 0.001). Duration of illness (p = 0.02), hospitalisation (p = 0.03), and number of medications (p = 0.01) were clinical factors associated with depression score. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression in older people with arthritis is high and was associated with females, the widowed, no formal education; and those with long duration of illness, those using multiple medications, and those with repeated hospitalisation. Contribution: This finding can enhance the suspicion index for depression to establish standard operating procedures, which will help to improve therapeutic practice for caring for the older adult age group.

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