Prevalence of Depression Among Community Dwelling Older Persons in Thailand and the Associated Factors: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Aim: Depression symptoms in older persons are overlooked and untreated because they coincide with other conditions that older persons face. This review aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression among community dwelling older persons in Thailand according to the Social Cognitive Theory constructs. Design: Systematic review. Data sources: Four electronic databases: PubMed, PsychINFO, ScienceDirect and Scopus, with only articles published between January 2000 and December 2021 were included. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Systems for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to conduct this systematic review. All included articles were appraised using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT), with all 13 studies were assessed to be of high quality, with score of more than 75. Results: A total of 13 full-texts articles were included in this review, of which 12 were cross-sectional study design, and only one was a cohort study. The prevalence of depression among older persons in Thailand were between 5.7% to 68%, with the most commonly reported factors that significantly associated with depression were gender, social support, marital status, employment status or income, and education level. Conclusion: Depression among older persons is a mental Health challenging issue in Thailand. Studying the factors that contribute to depression in older persons is more important in order to have a better understanding of the underlying causes as well as for early detection and effective management of depression among older persons in Thailand.