Prevalence and the affecting factors on depression, anxiety and stress (DASS) among elders in Qazvin City, in the Northwest of Iran

Abstract

Background Depression, anxiety, and stress are among the most common mental health disorders of the elderly that affect the health of individuals and society. Considering the growing trend of the elderly population in Iran, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of these disorders and to identify the factors affecting them in the elderly. Methods We conducted this cross-sectional study using cluster random sampling on 301 elderly people referred to Qazvin health centers. Data was collected using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire and analyzed through univariate and multivariate linear regression tests with the interaction between variables in STATA Version 14 software. A P-value of less than 0.05 was significant. Results The prevalence of depression was 45.5%, anxiety 35.5%, and stress 40.2%. Our findings showed that 22.9%, 7.9%, and 14.3% of people had severe and very severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The variables of age, comorbidity, living status and job status had a significant relationship with the DASS score (p < 0.05). There was an interaction between the variables of comorbidity and income status influencing the DASS score (β = 0.68, 95% CI 0.15, 1.22). Conclusion The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress in the elderly was high, indicating the inappropriate status of their mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to take operational steps to reduce some problems in the elderly, prioritize the elderly suffering from concurrent diseases, the unemployed elderly, those who do not have a certain income, and the elderly who live alone.

Prevalence of COVID‐19 anxiety, geriatric anxiety, and related factors among the elderly in Quchan, Iran during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a cross‐sectional study

“…The findings of this study demonstrate that comorbidity contributes to increased anxiety among the elderly, which is in line with the results of previous research by Lu L et al, Raeisvandi et al, Cho et al, and Wang et al 10,[39][40][41] The elderly participants in Zhang's study (2023) had an average of 4.1 diseases, with onefifth of them experiencing six or more concurrent illnesses. Common conditions among them included hypertension, dyslipidaemia, inflammation of connective and skeletal tissues, diabetes, and obesity.…”

“…Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS): This tool, designed to assess anxiety related to COVID-19, includes 18 items grouped into two subscales: psychological symptoms (items 1-9) and physical symptoms (items [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. It employs a four-point Likert scale (never = 0, sometimes = 1, often = 2, always = 3) for scoring, with potential scores ranging from 0 to 54.…”

“…[7][8][9] Advanced age is associated with various diseases and disorders, including mental health conditions, with anxiety being one of the most prevalent. 10 Anxiety significantly affects the lives of the elderly, reducing their quality of life, 11 increasing the risk of developing dementia 12 and cardiovascular diseases, 13 and impairing cognitive function, overall functioning, and sleep patterns. 14 Numerous studies have investigated the prevalence of anxiety and its influencing factors.…”

“…16 Anxiety prevalence in the elderly has varied from 7% to 35.5% in different studies. 10,[17][18][19][20] Factors such as age, comorbidity, living conditions, and occupation have been found to be associated with anxiety. 10 In light of the growing elderly population and the pressing issue of anxiety among them, there is a need for comprehensive planning in this domain.…”

“…10,[17][18][19][20] Factors such as age, comorbidity, living conditions, and occupation have been found to be associated with anxiety. 10 In light of the growing elderly population and the pressing issue of anxiety among them, there is a need for comprehensive planning in this domain. Accurate planning necessitates the identification of factors influencing anxiety.…”