Depressive symptoms among senior citizens in Baijanath Rural Municipality, Nepal - a community-based cross-sectional study

Q: What was the study aim regarding depressive symptoms?

The study aimed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms and identify associated factors among senior citizens in rural communities of Nepal.

Q: How were depressive symptoms measured in the study?

Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) based on face-to-face interviews with participants.

Q: Which factors were significantly associated with depression?

Depression was significantly associated with Janajati ethnicity, poor economic status, presence of multiple morbidities, and impaired physical functioning.

Sep 30, 2026

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Depression among senior citizens is an increasing public health concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries where older adults face social, economic, and health-related vulnerabilities. In Nepal, community-based evidence on geriatric depression, particularly in rural settings, remains limited. This cross-sectional study assessed the frequency of depressive symptoms and examined associated factors among 205 seniors (aged ≥60) in Baijanath Rural Municipality using GDS-15.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Global aging and depression burden

Need for context-specific rural evidence

Darlami etal. BMC Geriatrics (2026) 26:27 BMC Geriatrics [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06775-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06775-y) RESEARCH Open Access Depressive symptoms among senior citizens in Baijanath Rural Municipality, Nepal: a community-based cross-sectional study Lejain Darlami 1, Sujan Poudel2, Dhurba Khatri3, Sadhiksha Paudel4, Nirmal Raj Marasine5 and Shishir Paudel 1,3* Abstract Background Depression among senior citizens is a growing public health concern, particularly in low-and middleincome countries (LMICs), where aging populations often experience multiple socio-economic and health-related vulnerabilities. In Nepal, community-based evidence on geriatric depression, especially in rural areas, remains limited. This study aimed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms and to identify associated factors among senior citizens residing in rural communities of Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 205 senior citizens (aged ≥ 60 years) residing in Baijanath Rural Municipality. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire where Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Bivariate analysis using Pearson’schi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to identify factors associated with geriatric depression. Results were presented as the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), where statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results More than half (52 . 70%, 95% CI: 46 . 00%–59 . 30%) of the study participants exhibited depressive symptoms. The factors significantly associated with depression included Janajati ethnicity (aOR: 0 .41; 95% CI: 0 .18–0. 93), poor economic status (1st and 2nd quintiles: aOR = 2.99 and 2. 89, respectively), presence of multiple morbidities (aOR: 6 .44; 95% CI: 2 .51–16. 53), and impaired physical functioning (aOR: 3 . 25; 95% CI: 1.09–9. 60) . No significant associations were found between depressive symptoms and the alcohol or tobacco used by their offspring. Conclusion This study highlights a substantial burden of depressive symptoms among senior citizens residing in a rural community of Nepal and highlights key associated factors, including economic hardship, multimorbidity, and physical dependency. Targeted interventions focusing on chronic disease management, physical rehabilitation, and economic support are critical to improving mental health among senior citizens in rural settings. Keywords Aging, Depressive symptoms, Geriatric depression, Nepal *Correspondence: Shishir Paudel [shishirpaudel11@gmail.com](shishirpaudel11@gmail.com) 1Department of Public Health, CiST College, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal 2HERD International, Lalitpur, Nepal 3Kathmandu Institute of Child Health, Hepali Heights, Budhanil kantha, Kathmandu, Nepal 4Madhyapur Hospital, Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur, Nepal 5Department of Pharmacy, CiST College, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the

FAQs

What was the study aim regarding depressive symptoms?

The study aimed to assess the frequency of depressive symptoms and identify associated factors among senior citizens in rural communities of Nepal.

How were depressive symptoms measured in the study?

Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) based on face-to-face interviews with participants.

Which factors were significantly associated with depression?

Depression was significantly associated with Janajati ethnicity, poor economic status, presence of multiple morbidities, and impaired physical functioning.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by kopisore