Prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors among older adults residing in long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional study

Depressive symptoms are common among older adults and occur particularly frequently in institutionalized populations. Residents of long-term care facilities are exposed to multiple interacting social, clinical, and functional risk factors that may increase their vulnerability to poor mental health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among older adults residing in long-term care facilities and to identify selected sociodemographic, clinical, and functional factors associated with these symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 102 older adults residing in long-term care facilities providing 24-hour care in Poland. Data were collected through direct face-to-face interviews. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and functional status was evaluated using the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale. Sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and medication use were collected using an author-designed questionnaire. Univariate associations between variables were analyzed using chi-square tests and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, with statistical significance set at p = 0.05. Depressive symptoms were identified in more than half of the participants. Mild depressive symptoms were observed in 41.2% of respondents, while severe depressive symptoms were present in 19.6%. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with marital status, limited or absent contact with family, the presence and number of chronic diseases, polypharmacy, and reduced functional independence. No significant associations were found between depressive symptoms and age, sex, or level of education. Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among older adults residing in long-term care facilities and are associated with social isolation, multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and functional impairment. These findings provide additional insight into the combined influence of multiple risk domains in institutional care settings and highlight the need for routine screening and integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to mental health care in this population.