The Level and Problems of “Mental Health” in Elderly People in Shkodra, Albania

Abstract

Assessment the lifetime prevalence and risk factors of mental disorders in elderly people of Shkodra city. The study was conducted in Shkodra, Albania. Individuals aged 65+ years old that were presented to community mental health center with problems mental disorders were eligible to be part of this study. For all participants (108) were used a standardized question for problems of mental health and epidemiological data for the period 2014-2016. An average 8.11 percent of the total sample that have been presented for the necessary treatment and consultation in the community mental health center in Shkodra for the previous three years were elderly people. This study has reported heterogeneous result on the prevalence of mental disorders in the elderly of Shkodra city. This prevalence varied with age, gender, residence, marital status and condition of living with differences across diseases. The most predominant mental disorder was depressive disorders 32 (29.6 percent) patients. More than 22 (20.4 percent) reported a lifetime history of Schizophrenia; 27 (25 percent) patients reported dementia and Alzheimer; 21.3 percent affective disorder and anxiety disorder and 3.7 mental retardation. Major depression and affective disorder were the most common single mental disorders. Some of them have reported two or more mental disorders in their life time history. As a conclusion, the prevalence of mental disorders was high in elderly people. The results told that mental disorders are important determinants in quality of life. So we suggest the necessity for the further development and improvement of harmonized instruments for the assessment of mental disorders to older adults.