Geropsychiatry in Indian Culture

Abstract

Geriatric psychiatry will be increasingly important in years to come as the care of the elderly becomes a health problem in India. Those aged 60 and over contribute to 6% of the country's population at present. The life expectancy of an average Indian has increased from 24 years in 1900 to 53 in 1971. Improved health care promises longevity, but social and economic conditions like poverty, breakup of the joint family system and poor services, specifically for the aged, pose a psychiatric threat to them. Organic diseases and affective disorders form the bulk of psychiatric illnesses in the aged. Suggestions for research in areas such as social, cultural and changing attitudes, and national economics, have been suggested as a promising field for preventive geriatric services. Adding life to years is more important than adding years to life. The paper offers some references to the studies on geriatric psychiatry in India and discusses cultural factors affecting the aged.