Loneliness and mental health outcomes among South Asian older adult immigrants in the United States a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND There is growing concern of mental health issues among South Asian immigrant populations, although limited disaggregated data on determinants of these issues exists. The aim of this study was to examine determinants of select mental health outcomes among South Asian older adult immigrants living in New York City (NYC). METHODS Data was sourced from a need's assessment among self-identified South Asians aged 60+ conducted by an NYC-based frontline agency and non-profit organization. Variables assessed included the 9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), degree of difficulty experienced due to depression, loneliness, emotional distress, as well as socio-demographic, living situation, acculturation, general health, and financial related indicators. RESULTS Among the 682 responses, 9.4% of participants displayed symptoms of mild or moderate depression (16% of Caribbean-origin, 10% of Pakistani, 9% of Bangladeshi, and 8% of Indian participants). About a third of participants (29.9%) reported feeling lonely sometimes and 39.1% experienced any of the type of emotional distress. When compared to those with excellent or very good self-rated health, having fair, poor, or terrible self-rated health was associated with a greater adjusted odds of having mild or moderate depression (AOR:8.42, 95%CI:22.09) and experiencing emotional distress (AOR:3.03, 95%CI:1.88-4.94). Those experiencing emotional distress were more likely to be younger (AOR:0.97, 95%CI:0.95-1.00) and live alone (AOR:2.06, 95%CI:1.21-3.53). DISCUSSION Findings support the need for tailored mental health interventions targeting concerns, such as poor self-rated health, among South Asian older adult immigrants, as well as specific sub-populations such as Indo-Caribbeans who may be experiencing a disproportionate burden. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.