Correlation between the Yesavage geriatric depression scale and the oral health status of the elderly patient – pilot study

Background The present study intends to assess the prevalence of signs and symptoms of depression in elderly people in the district of Viseu, and to analyze how these are associated to the oral health status and quality of life. Materials and methods An observational descriptive cross-sectional pilot study was designed with a sample of 20 participants residing in two institutions in the municipality of Viseu, Portugal. Data collection was carried out through the application of a questionnaire composed of general sociodemographic and oral health aspects, the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and also through the application of the decayed, missing and flled permanent teeth index (DMFT index). Results The mean age of the sample was 80±7.74 years, with 85% of the female gender. Of the participating individuals, 55% reported not having dental prostheses. The average GOHAI index was 26.7±5.2. It was also found that 65% of the elderly did not have depression, 30% had "mild depression" and 5% had "severe depression". For those categorized as "depressed", all considered to have an "average" to "poor" condition of their teeth and almost 3/4 had low self-perception of quality of life related to oral health. Even so, no statistically signifcant values were detected between the severity of depression, age and the DMFT index. Conclusions It was found that individuals with symptoms of depression have a greater tendency to manifest a low self-perception of quality of life related to oral health, as well as to report more problems with their teeth and gums, although this is not refected in the results of the DMFT index. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Commission for Health of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Comissão de Ética para Saúde da UCP, Report number 33, November 21, 2019). Informed consent was obtained from all participants and all methods were performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki principles for medical research involving human subjects and following the requirements established by Portuguese Law n.° 21/2014 for clinical research.