Internal Medicine · 2 h ago
Family support linked to depression and quality of life in older adults
A cross-sectional study of 420 adults aged 60 and older in Himachal Pradesh, India, found that family support was associated with depression and health-related quality of life. Financial self-sufficiency and good quality of life were independently associated with stronger family support, but the study cannot establish cause and effect.
- Study included 420 adults aged 60 and older.
- Good quality of life was strongly associated with family support.
- Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation.
- Participants were convenience-sampled at one hospital.
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study at Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College and Hospital in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, from May to October 2025. The 420 participants, all aged 60 or older, were recruited by convenience sampling. Structured interviews used the Family APGAR scale, Geriatric Depression Scale and Older People’s Quality of Life questionnaire to assess family support, depression and quality of life.
In multivariable analysis, financial self-sufficiency was associated with higher odds of good family support (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.10; 95% CI, 1.16–3.81), while moderate or severe depression was associated with lower odds (AOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22–0.84). Good quality of life had the strongest association (AOR, 15.52; 95% CI, 8.81–27.34). Living with a spouse and children was also associated with good family support in the reported bivariate analysis.
The findings describe associations, not causal effects. Recruitment from one hospital using convenience sampling may limit how well results apply to older adults elsewhere; the study does not show that changing family support would improve depression or quality of life.
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BMC Public Health: Association of family support, depression, and health-related quality of life among older adults in Himachal Pradesh, India ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.