Mental morbidity and its associations with socio-behavioural factors and chronic conditions in rural middle- and older-aged adults in South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated mental morbidity and its association with socio-behavioural health and chronic health conditions among rural middle-older persons in South African (N = 5 059 adults; females = 53.6%; mean age = 62.4 years, SD = 13.1 years). We analysed baseline data from the Health and Aging in Africa Longitudinal Study (HAALSI), which included questions on socio-demographic, clinical, health, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Seventeen percent of the participants screened positive for depression and 4.8% for PTSD. The percentage of depression and/or PTSD was significantly higher in individuals with anaemia, angina, cataract, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, chronic bronchitis, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and tuberculosis. In multivariable logistic regression, being female, older age, being underweight, and having multi-morbidity portended higher risk for depression. Multi-morbidity and being physically inactive but not obese increased the odds for PTSD. Multi-layered interventions are needed to investigate the mental health burden of this aging rural population.