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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0790

Depression in older adults in a South Indian population: a retrospective case series analysis

DEPRESSION AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE SOUTH INDIAN DEMOGRAPHIC - A RETROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES ANALYSIS

Physical comorbidities, polypharmacy, and thoughts of self-harm are highly prevalent among 63 patients aged over 60 hospitalized for depression; a history of suicide attempts is significantly more common among women.

The study aimed to examine the presentation of depression in older adults in South India, its association with multimorbidity and polypharmacy, sex differences, and the prevalence of suicidal ideation and intentional self-harm (ISH). Data from 63 patients aged 60 years and older hospitalized for treatment of a depressive episode between 2023 and 2025 were collected retrospectively and evaluated using chi-square analyses; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The sample comprised 28 men (44.4%) and 35 women (55.5%), with a mean age at presentation of 66.7 years; 43 patients (68.3%) had a prior history of a mood disorder (mean age at onset: 47.3 years), of whom 32 had been diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder (74.4%) and 11 with bipolar affective disorder (25.6%). Episodes were classified as mild in 4.8%, moderate in 54.0%, and severe in 34.9%; 53 patients (84.1%) had at least one physical comorbidity, 26 (41.3%) had type 2 diabetes mellitus, and 37 (58.7%) had hypertension. Reduced self-care was reported at a higher rate among female patients than among male patients (28.6%; p = 0.009); 40 patients (63.5%) had recurrent thoughts of death and/or self-harm at presentation, and 16 (25.4%) had a history of a suicide attempt during the current or a previous episode. A history of suicide attempts was significantly more common among women than men (37.1% versus 14.3%; p = 0.017). The mean number of prescribed medications was 5.9, and 65.1% of patients were taking six or more medications; all patients received pharmacotherapy, 21 (33.3%) received psychotherapy, and 13 (23.8%) received interventional treatment (e.g., modified electroconvulsive therapy). The authors emphasize that depression in this age group is intertwined with physical illness and that integrated pharmacotherapeutic approaches, suicide risk assessment, and preventive interventions are needed.

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