An assessment of living arrangement status and its association with depression among older adults in India

Manoj Sonune, PhD Research Scholar
Dhananjay W. Bansod, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Mahadevrao Bramhankar, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Background In India, the family structure has been shifting from joint to nuclear. Due to a change in family social structure, older people are not given adequate health care and attention by their family members. Therefore, our study wants to understand the level of depression and living arrangements in India. This study was based on a secondary data source, i.e., Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI, 2020), having respondents aged 45 and above. For analyzing the data, we have used descriptive statistics, binary, and multiple logistic regression techniques, which help to understand the prevalence and association between older adults living arrangement and their health. This study reveals that older adults living alone rise with an increase in age from 1.67% (45-59) age-group to 7.02% in the age group of 75 and above. Similarly, the prevalence of depression among older people rises with the increase in the age of older adults who were living alone. Our study has evidence that the living arrangements have a profound relation with the level of depression in India. so, family social support and analyzing the impact of various factors on their mental health are needed for older adults in India.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Longitudinal studies , Families, Unions and Households

See extended abstract.