Gender and Health Disparities in Psychological Distress among Indian Older Adults: A Post-COVID Analysis

Chronic illness has long been a major source of psychological distress among older adults. While the relationship between gender dynamics, health status, and psychological distress has been extensively studied in developed countries, there is limited research on this issue in developing countries like India. This cross-sectional analytical study aims to fill this research gap by providing empirical evidence on the psychological distress experienced by Indian older adults in the post-COVID-19 era. A 2(Gender: male and female) x 2(Health status: healthy and chronic-illness), i.e., 2 × 2 between-subject design (two- way ANOVA) was formed. A stratified random sampling technique was used to draw the sample from Bihar, India. A self-administered questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), is used to screen and identify psychological distress. Collected data were handled and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS-25). The ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association and the Declaration of Helsinki were followed throughout. The hypotheses were tested using descriptive and inferential statistics. 136 out of 200 (68%) older adults were screened as having psychological distress. F-ratio was found to be significant for gender (F [1], [132]) = [14.90]; [health], F ([1], [132] = [55.73]; and an interaction between [gender] and [health status], F ([1], [132] = [14.45]. These findings underscore the critical importance of geriatric psychiatry in India, particularly for women with chronic illnesses. There is a need for short-term intervention programs or policies addressing the mental health of older adults in general.