Prevalência de indicativos de depressão em idosos de uma unidade de atenção ao idoso

This is a cross-sectional, observational and quantitative study, conducted in the city of Uberaba (MG), Brazil, with the objective of outlining the sociodemographic profile and estimating the prevalence of depression indexes among elders. 60-year-old or older people from both genders, who regularly attend the UAI, were included in the research. From the 317 participants, most were female, between 60 and 70 years of age, widows, retired, with low education and low income. The prevalence of depression indexes was 30.9%. These data show that it is necessary to conduct actions to diagnose and treat depression, and to make psychosocial and emotional support mechanisms available for the elders.