Occurrence of mood disorders among educationally active older adults in Bialystok, Poland: a cross-sectional study

The effects of physical activity and exercise therapy on frail elderly depression: A narrative review

Due to aging, decreased immune function, and an increase in various diseases, frail elderly people are prone to symptoms of depression, which may seriously affect their quality of life. Physical activity and exercise therapy have been identified as a promising method for preventing and treating depression in the elderly. This narrative review assesses the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in frail elderly people, the mechanisms by which physical activity affects depressive symptoms, and the effectiveness of exercise therapy on the health status of frail elderly people. Through searches on the web of science, scopus, PubMed, and CNKI databases, there are a large number of studies on the relationship between physical activity and depression; However, few of them give us a mechanism for how physical activity affects depression. Although all progress has been made in developing appropriate exercise therapy to treat depression, the mechanisms underlying the effects of different types of exercise therapy on depression in frail elderly people have not been satisfactorily addressed, and the optimal effect of exercise therapy on depression cannot be achieved. In this way, future research should more effectively clarify the mechanism of physical activity affecting depression in frail elderly people in China, in order to understand which exercise therapy or how to formulate exercise prescriptions can make exercise therapy play the greatest role in treating depression in vulnerable elderly people in China.

Prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and depression among the community-dwelling elderly in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar

Providing elderly mental healthcare in Myanmar is challenging due to the growing elderly population and limited health resources. To understand common mental health problems among Myanmar elderly, this study explored the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and depression among the elderly in the Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 655 elderly by face-to-face interviews with a pretested questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 39.4% (33.5% for males and 42.4% for females) and 35.6% (33.0% for males and 36.9% for females), respectively. The adjusted odds ratio of having anxiety was significant for having low education level, having comorbidity, having BMI < 21.3, poor dental health, no social participation, and having no one to consult regarding personal problems, while that of having depression was significant for having comorbidity, having BMI < 21.3, poor vision, and having no one to consult regarding personal problems. The reported prevalence of anxiety and depression indicate the demand for mental healthcare services among Myanmar elderly. Myanmar needs to improve its elderly care, mental healthcare, and social security system to reflect the actual needs of its increasing elderly population. Screening for anxiety and depression among elderly with comorbidities should be promoted. Raising community awareness of mental health, encouraging social participation, and supportive counselling are also essential in combating anxiety and depression among Myanmar elderly.