Geriatric psychiatric morbidity in rural northern India: implications for the future

This was an epidemiological study funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research and conducted in a representative rural geographical area in northern India. The study aimed to determine the pattern of psychiatric morbidity in those aged 60 years or above and to ascertain the causative/contributory role of biosociodemographic factors, if any. Three groups of subjects formed the sample: the geriatric psychiatrically ill and non-ill and the nongeriatric psychiatrically ill. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity was found to be much higher in the geriatric group (43.32%) than in the nongeriatric group (4.66%). The psychiatric morbidity pattern consisted of neurotic depression, manic-depressive psychosis depression, and anxiety state in descending order of frequency. Socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged subjects were found to be more psychiatrically ill. The data indicate that by the year 2000, there will be about 28 million psychiatrically ill geriatric persons in the country requiring the attention of health policy planners. The implications of these findings in light of the available services for psychiatrically ill geriatric persons have been discussed and future directions identified.