Examining the Singular Influences of Difficulty with Activities of Daily Living on Major Depression among Older Adults in India

Harshita Chari, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Anjali Radkar

While a number of studies have established that difficulty in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL) among older adults can cause depression, this study uses bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression to assess the effect of quantity of ADL difficulties and individual difficulties on major depression for the older adults aged over 60 years by cross-classifying them as young-old males, old-old males, young-old females and old-old females. Higher rates of major depression was observed among young-old males and females than old-old males and females with increasing number of difficulties. Old-old males and females had higher odds for difficulty with BADLs than with IADLs, indicating a stronger impact of difficulty with basic activities on major depression. Males had a higher likelihood of major depression if they had difficulty with taking medication, managing money, and shopping for groceries, whereas females had higher likelihood if they had difficulty preparing a hot meal and shopping for groceries. The impact of traditional gender roles, as well as the coping mechanisms and psychological reactions to functional limitations shaped by the prevailing social norms, can all be linked to the manifestation of major depression associated with specific ADL difficulties, with distinct gender differences in these instances.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Health and Morbidity

See extended abstract.