Depression and associated factors in retired employees at Department of Internal Medicine, Outpatient Clinic, Metropolitan Electricity Authority Hospital

Abstract

Background: Metropolitan Electricity Authority is one of the institutions facing increasing number of retired employees every year. Health problem would affect their emotion and mental wellbeing. Therefore, this leads to our curiosity in studying depression and associated factors in retired employees at the Department of Internal Medicine, Outpatient Clinic, Metropolitan Electricity Authority Hospital.

Objectives: To study the prevalence of depression and associated factors among retired employees at the Department of Internal Medicine, Outpatient Clinic, Metropolitan Electricity Authority Hospital.

Methods: One hundred and fifteen subjects were recruited into the study. They completed six self-reported questionnaires including: demographic data form, Thai Mental state Examination (TMSE), Thai Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS), 1–Year Life Event Question, Social Support Questionnaire and Social Participation of Elderly Questionnaires. SPSS was used to perform for the descriptive statistics; univariated analysis was applied to address the associated factors; and, logistic regression analysis was performed for calculating the odd ratio of the risk factors.

Results: The finding showed that most of the subjects were male (62.2%). The prevalence of depression among retired employees was 35.6%, 33.0% had mild depression and 2.6% had moderate depression. The factors associated with depression were male gender, age above 66 years, secondary school education, income less than 10,000 baht per month, unaffordable economic status and debt, members in family less than 3 persons, job position before retirement less than level 7, provident fund less than or equal 3 millions baht, income before retirement less than or equal to 60,000 baht per month, income after retirement less than or equal to 10,000 baht per month, having health problem with more than 2 diagnosis, diabetes mellitus,
dyslipidemia, heart disease, kidney disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy and taking medication for the former disease, experiencing severe life stress event, low level of social support and low level of social participation. Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors of depression were: age above 66 years, job position before retirement less than level 7, diabetes mellitus, experiencing severe life stress event, and low level of social participation.

Conclusion: One-third of the subjects had depression. The factors associated with depression were age above 66 years, job position before retirement less than level 7, diabetes mellitus, experiencing severe life stress event, and low level of social participation.