Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and Related Factors Among Elderly Individuals Living Alone in Jeju
Hyun-Ju Yang , MD, PhD, Young-Eun Jung , MD, PhD, Moon-Doo Kim , MD, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea
Correspondence to: Moon-Doo Kim, MD, PhD Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju National University School of Medicine, 15 Aran 13-gil, Jeju 63241, Korea TEL +82-64-717-1850 FAX +82-64-717-1849 E-mail mdkim66@jejunu.ac.kr ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6441-630X
Received: October 20, 2024; Accepted: October 27, 2024; Published online: November 30, 2024.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Depression among elderly individuals, especially those living alone, is an important social issue. This study investigated the prevalence of depressive symptoms and related factors in elderly individuals living alone in Jeju. Methods: A survey was conducted among elderly individuals living alone and registered in the Basic Senior Care Services. Depressive symptoms were analyzed using the Short Form Geriatric Depression Scale, with scores ≥6 indicating depression. Factors such as sex, age, education level, marital status, income, health status, underlying diseases, smoking, alcohol consumption, and suicide risk were also examined. Results: Of the 4,742 participants, 52.6% showed a high prevalence of depressive symptoms. Factors affecting prevalence included sex (p=0.020), age (p<0.001), education (p<0.001), subjective health (p<0.001), smoking history (p<0.001), cancer (p=0.001), dementia (p<0.001), and diagnostic history of depression (p<0.001), whose symptoms were correlated with suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts (p<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that sex, age, education level, subjective health, dementia, and current smoking and alcohol consumption were significant factors. Conclusion: Depression among elderly individuals living alone in Jeju is severe and influenced by sociocultural factors. Early detection and mental health policies are essential to reduce its prevalence and socioeconomic impact.
Keywords: Depression; Aged; Living alone; Prevalence
, MD, PhD, Young-Eun Jung 
Funding Information
Jeju National University
