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Category: Volume 07 Issue 05 May 2019
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Title: A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Prevalence of Psychosocial Problems Among Geriatric Age Group of All the Three Strata of Social Class in Central India

Authors: Sunil K Guleri, Shraddha Mishra

 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v7i5.36

Abstract

Common psychosocial problems of geriatric population are depression, dementia, loneliness, social insecurity, economic instability, sleep disturbances, irritability, etc. The four major psychosocial problems considered in our study are Dementia, depression, loneliness and sleep disorders. WHO report of 2004 states that 536 elderly people per 10,000 suffer from physical and psychosocial problems of old age. The study started with identification of slum areas, residential colonies and pos developed societies in the city sagar, so that sufficient subjects can be identified from low, middle and high socioeconomic class. The identified areas were surveyed till 30 elderly of age 60 years and above (15 males and 15 females) were identified from each classified areas. A pretested semi structured questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial issues of elderly. Prevalence of depression was higher in lower socioeconomic class compared to the middle and higher classes. Females from low socioeconomic status had highest prevalence of having  possible early Dementia while males belonging to low socioeconomic class are least likely to be affected with possible early dementia when compared to other classes, The loneliness index of females belonging to low socio-economic status group is highest 49.13% among all classes. The overall level of psychosocial problems was higher in Lower socioeconomic class when compared to middle and higher socioeconomic class. The burden of psychosocial problems, considered in our study viz. Dementia, depression, loneliness and sleep disorders, was more in female section of the geriatric population as compared to males.

Keywords: geriatric, psychosocial problems, socioeconomic class, loneliness.

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Corresponding Author

Dr Shraddha Mishra

Department of Community Medicine, Bundelkhand Medical College Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India

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