Prevalence, correlates, and treatment gap of mental illnesses among middle age and elderly population of India

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health issues are increasing globally and low- and middle-income countries contribute 80% of the total burden. In India, the proportion of mental illnesses contributing to the total disease burden has become twofold since 1990. Despite this high prevalence, a greater part of the affected people are deprived of proper care. Henceforth, this study was planned to estimate the prevalence of mental illnesses among middle age and older adults of India and determining the treatment gap across people suffering from various mental illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using the data from Longitudinal Aging Study in India Wave I, (2017–2018). Regression analysis was done to understand the association of mental illness with different sociodemographic factors. Ninety-five percentage confidence interval were considered a measure of uncertainty. Results: The prevalence of mental illness was found to be 31.23%. About 65.67% of the participants having Alzheimer’s/dementia and 61.06% of the participants having depression were not receiving any treatment. Females, smokers, nonworking, participants with no formal education, and those living without partner are found to be at higher risk of developing mental illness. Conclusion: A larger proportion of the middle age and older adults in India are affected with mental illnesses and the majority of them are left untreated. Failing to overcome this, treatment gap can cause a rise in indirect economic cost leading to poverty. Therefore, it is imperative for India to invest more on mental health services.