Prevalence of Depression and its Related Factors During Covid-19 Disease Quarantine in the Elderly of Gonabad in 2020

The spread of Covid-19 disease due to its rapid transmission has created an emergency situation in global health in less than a few months around the world. This disease not only causes public health concerns but also causes a number of psychological illnesses including depression. Therefore, the present study was designed with the aim of the prevalence of depression during the quarantine period of Covid-19 in the elderly of Gonabad city.

Methods & Materials: 

The present descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 432 elderly who met the inclusion criteria. Data collection tools were a two-part questionnaire including the first part of the Demographic Information Questionnaire and the second part of the GDS Depression Inventory. Samples were selected as random clusters. Data were collected by telephone (Disease transmission) from community health centers and health centers. Data were analyzed using software (SPSS) using descriptive and inferential statistics with a significance level of less than 0.05.

In the present study, the prevalence of depression was 55.8%. Findings indicated that between marriage (p <0.001), cohabitation (p <0.001), economic status (p <0.001), family history of depression (p <0.001), There was a statistically significant relationship between the history of chronic disease (p <0.003), level of education (p <0.001) and sleep quality (p <0.001) with the prevalence of depression.

In the present study, depression is more prevalent in the elderly during the quarantine period of Covid-19 disease. Due to the high prevalence of depression in the elderly during the onset of diseases such as Covid 19, interventions related to this group of the elderly should be considered in the plans of health care providers.