Mental health of the elderly Chinese population in Singapore.

A study of 804 elderly Chinese in Singapore was conducted to assess physical health, mental health and social support. The questionnaire was derived from the Older American Resources and Services and the Geriatric Mental State Schedule. The results showed that the majority of elderly people in the survey (94%) were able to live independently, only 9.3% had mental disorders and 78% of the sample had good social resources meaning that relationships were good and family care was available.