Global, regional, and national burden and attributable risk factors of depressive disorders among older adults, 1990-2021

As a highly prevalent and disabling mental health condition among older adults, the epidemiology of depressive disorders could have evolved with global ageing. We aimed to assess the global, regional, and national burdens and trends of depressive disorders among older adults aged ≥ 55 years.

We retrieved data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021 on the incidence, prevalence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of depressive disorders for older adults. Estimated annual percentage changes were calculated to quantify the temporal trends.

In 2021, there were an estimated 93.1 million (95 % UI 80.4-108.5) older adults with depressive disorders globally, representing a substantial increase of 136.1 % from the 1990 estimates. The number of DALYs globally in 2021 was 14.8 million (10.3-20.1) for depressive disorders. The largest increase in DALYs was observed in High-income Asia Pacific, while the largest reduction was in Eastern Europe. In terms of risk factors, the corresponding estimated annual percentage change for intimate partner violence was -0.02 % (-0.11 to 0.07), and for childhood sexual abuse and bullying was -0.22 % (-0.30 to -0.14), from 1990 to 2021.

For three decades, improved health conditions had not resulted in the expected decline in depressive disorders burdens among older adults, highlighting the need for health policy attention, especially in countries with low to medium Socio-demographic Index. It is important to align funding priorities with epidemiological shifts in low- and middle-income countries to mitigate depressive disorders burdens among this population.