Association between religious practice and risk of depression in older people in the subacute setting

Objective To identify the association between religious practice and risk of depression in older people admitted to a subacute hospital. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 100 patients aged ≥65 years with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores ≥24 consecutively admitted to a subacute hospital. Religious practice was measured using the Duke University Religion Index and risk of depression using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results Geriatric Depression Scale was significantly correlated with intrinsic religiosity (r = −0.21, P = 0.04) and cognition (r = −0.22, P = 0.03). Conclusion This cross-sectional study of older people in a subacute setting found depression scores were negatively and independently associated with both intrinsic religiosity and cognition. In conjunction with cognitive assessment, health professionals working with older people may consider taking a spiritual history as part of holistic care.