Psychological distress among older people in rural Indonesia

Abstract

Population ageing is accelerating in rural Indonesia, yet the mental health of older adults remains critically under-researched. This study examines demographic-structural, social, and health correlates of psychological distress among adults aged 60 and over, using data from the 2016 Ageing in Rural Indonesia Study (ARIS; N = 2,389). Negative binomial regression was applied across four nested models. Probable distress (K6 ≥ 13) was observed in 2.47 per cent of respondents. Demographic-structural was the dominant risk domain: inability to access community health services for older adults (poslansia; IRR 1.56), poor financial condition (IRR 1.61), residence outside Java (IRR 1.49), and not bei..