Depression and Suicide Attempt during Dementia, and their Clinical Correlation in Elderly Indian Population from LASI Wave I (2017-2018)

Abstract

Objective: Adult people are more prone to developing physical organ-related or mental disorders due to deterioration of body functions. Dementia is one such condition that prevails among older patients. This survey collates the effects of various demographic characteristics on depression and suicidal tendencies among the adult population with dementia across India.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional online survey that included 402 elderly patients (45 years and above) with dementia from different states of India conducted between June 2017 to June 2018. Depression and suicidal tendencies were dichotomized as No-“0” and Yes-“1’. Other explored variables in respect to depression and suicidal tendencies among patients with dementia were age, gender, area of living, wealth index, education, caste, religion, marital status, living arrangement, social security.

Results: Age, gender and place of living had a significant effect on developing depression among adults with dementia (P<0.05). Factors such as education, wealth index, caste, religion, marital status, living alone or not and the presence or absence of social security didn’t have a significant effect on depression amongst people with dementia (p>0.05). In case of emerging suicidal tendencies among patients with dementia all the mentioned categories didn’t show significant changes.

Conclusion: The patients with dementia had a greater inclination towards developing suicidal tendencies. Suicidal tendencies didn’t change significantly with age, gender, education, wealth, caste, social security, place of living, living arrangements, and marital status. Depression showed significant effect in terms of gender i.e. female and rural areas. Other socioeconomic characteristics didn’t establish significant effect on developing depressive symptoms and dementia.