Prevalence of Depression Among Older Adults Visiting the Primary Healthcare Centers in Jizan City, Saudi Arabia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objective Older adults are susceptible to various disorders, including depression. Depression manifests as a disorder characterized by a persistent depressed mood, feelings of sadness and loneliness, sleep disturbances, and loss of interest lasting for two weeks or more. This condition can significantly affect the quality of life for older adults, resulting in adverse outcomes that have a negative impact on their overall well-being. In this study, our objective was to assess the prevalence of depression and identify associated risk factors among individuals aged 60 years and above who attended Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCCs) in Jizan City. Methodology We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study among older people attending PHCCs in Jizan City between May and December 2022. In this study, we interviewed 300 participants using the Patient Health Questionnaire -9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for data entry and analysis. We used the chi-square test and binary logistic regression model to detect the associations and predictors of depression among older adults. Results One-third of the study participants experienced depression, with 49 (16%) exhibiting mild depression, 33 (11%) reporting moderate depression, and 17 (6%) individuals indicating moderately severe depression. Depression was more common among females (158, 52.7%) than males (142, 47.3%). The predictors of depression among the study participants were the dependency to perform daily tasks and abnormal sleep duration. Conclusions Depression is a prevalent health problem among older people in Jizan City, particularly among females, those who are divorced or widowed, individuals dependent on others for daily tasks, and those with abnormal sleep duration. We conclude that we need more research on older adults to assess their mental problems and fill in the literature gap.