Depressive disorders in elderly adults from eleven Andean communities in Peru, 2013-2017

Objective: To determine factors most frequently associated with depression in elderly adults living in eleven Andean communities. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in persons older than 60 years from 11 Andean communities in Peru. Instruments used in screening for depression were the ultra-short Yesavage questionnaire (depression is diagnosed if the score is 3 points or more); a self-report for depression using this question: Do you frequently feel sad or depressed? Also, socio-demographic data, and the presence of some geriatric syndromes and comorbidities were explored. Bivariate analyses using regression models, Chi-square and the Student's t test were used for independent groups. Results: The study population comprised 371 participants. Nearly 41% of them (40.7%) had depression according to the Yesavage Questionnaire, and 37.47% had self-reported depression. Both comorbidities and geriatric syndromes were more frequent in depressed participants (p<0.05). Conclusions: There is an association between age and a diagnosis of depression, according to the Yesavage questionnaire. Also, there was an association between depression and comorbidities and geriatric syndromes, both according to the aforementioned questionnaire and self-report in elderly adults from eleven Andean communities.