title: Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among urban elderlies: Lucknow elderly study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paucity of systematic studies in elderly mental health in an aging population is an urgent need, which is required to address services and planning issues for health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to investigate the distribution of physical, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive disorders of a community sample of elderlies with certain socioeconomic data.
  
  
  METHODS
  A door-to-door household survey was conducted to identify houses with elderlies (≥55 years) in two urban localities of Lucknow. Mini mental state examination (MMSE), Survey Psychiatric Assessment Schedule (SPAS)/Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and physical and neurological examination were used for screening all consenting elderlies. MMSE positive participants were assessed on Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination-Revised for diagnosis of cognitive disorders; SPAS/MDQ positives were assessed on Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry based clinical interview for diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders other than cognitive disorders (using ICD-10 criteria). Routine and indicated laboratory/radiological investigations on all and on MMSE/SPAS (organic section) positive/physically ill participants respectively were done to confirm organic and/or physical illness. Only percentages were calculated to find the distribution of morbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample had proportionate age structure as that of the surveyed population and had balanced gender representation in each age deciles. Prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders (with/without comorbidities) was 11.8% in the elderlies (60 years and above) highest being in the 60-69 years age group. Being women and of lower socioeconomic status was more commonly associated with a neuropsychiatric diagnosis. 7.6% of the elderlies had cognitive impairment. Overall findings suggest a prevalence rate of 17.34% of total psychiatric morbidity among elderlies. A significant number had comorbid physical illness diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half the elderlies had some diagnosable physical or mental ailment. The study familiarizes us to the significant amount of physical and psychiatric comorbidity in the particular age group. About one-fifth was found to suffer from psychiatric morbidity, which any health services for the elderly should be oriented towards.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Mental Health, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Mental Health, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Rakesh Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Mental Health, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ragini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kohli
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Lucknow University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Agarwal
keywords: Cambridge mental disorders of the elderly examination-revised; cognitive impairment; comorbid physical illness; elderly; prevalence; psychiatric morbidity