Memory and Learning Complaints in Relation to Depression among Elderly People with Multimorbidity

Although current models of care are generally well-suited to providing treatment for individual medical conditions, the emergence of multimorbidity is becoming a serious concern for practitioners and policy researchers, particularly in developing countries. The challenges of tackling multimorbidity are further compounded when the multimorbidity co-occurs with psychiatric conditions such as cognitive and depressive disorders. Understanding the relationships between multimorbidity and psychiatric illnesses is therefore of considerable clinical importance. In the present study, we cross-sectionally examined whether multimorbidity has an association with perceived cognition—including memory, learning complaints, and depression—among elderly population in South Africa. Study subjects were 422 men and women aged 50 years and older. The prevalence of arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease, hypertension, and stroke was respectively 31.5, 7.3, 1.7, 10.2, 1.2, 1.7, 52.1, and 31.5%, and that of multimorbidity was 30.8%. In the multivariate analysis, women with multimorbidity were 4.33 times (OR = 4.33, 95%CI = 2.96–14.633) more likely to report memory complaints. The odds of diagnosed depression were 1.4 times (OR = 1.4, 95%CI = 1.045–5.676), and the odds of self-reported depression were 1.7 times (OR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.41–2.192) higher among women who had multimorbidity compared with those who had no morbid conditions. However, the association was not significant among men. Overall, the findings suggest that the occurrence of multimorbidity warrants special attention, especially regarding its compounding effects on psychological health. The findings need to be replicated through longitudinal studies that consider a broader range of chronic conditions.