Depression in Geriatric Facilities

Abstract

Depression is a very serious issue and can be seen in all stages of life. The geriatric population is often an overlooked area when it comes to mental health. Many people assume depression is just a fact of life when you age. The problem addressed in this paper is whether depression in geriatric facilities can be attributed to perceived living arrangements. Using the Geriatric Depression Scale (1) I wished to determine whether living situations can affect overall performance on the test and also determine whether religion had any influence on the resident’s outlook. The results of the GDS scores do not support my hypothesis. There seems to be no correlation between living on independent or assisted living and GDS score. While the hypothesis was not supported, future studies should be conducted to focus on individual life courses and perhaps utilize a design that can evaluate different life histories.