Whispers of Sorrow Amidst Nature's Embrace: Unveiling the Tale of Geriatric Depression in the Rural Enclaves of Doon Valley, North India

Objective: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among the geriatric population residing in rural areas of the Dehradun district, Uttarakhand. Material and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted from March to July 2021 among 330 older adults aged 60 years and above living in the rural areas of Dehradun District, Uttarakhand, India. The appropriate tools were used to collect data on socio-demographics, behavioral measures and medical history, depression status, cognitive functioning, and activities of daily living. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the variables which was presented using the odds ratio (OR) at a significance level of 0.05 (5%). Results: The participant response rate was 93.6%. The overall prevalence of depression was found to be 27.2%. The logistic regression analysis showed five variables, including living in a nuclear family (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=5.8), 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.3-25.0), stressful life event in the past 1 year (aOR: 36.9, 95% CI=13.9-98.2), presence of chronic medical illness (aOR=2.9, 95% CI=1.1- 7.3), history of head injury (aOR=3.1, 95% CI=0.9- 9.8) and dependency on activities of daily living (aOR=7.5, 95% CI=2.8- 20.6) have a statistically significant association with geriatric depression. Conclusion: According to the findings, the majority of the elderly were mildly depressed, which was associated with non-modifiable risk factors. Interventions that aim to reduce these risk factors and provide appropriate support and treatment for those affected are critical for improving the well-being and overall health of older adults.