Background: There has been a considerable increase in the numbers of older people in the
world population of both developed and developing countries. These populations are thought to
be at greater risk for depression. Many researches are conducted on physical wellbeing of elderly
but studies regarding depression among elderly, especially in old age home is lesser in the developing
countries. Objectives: To assess depression among elderly residing in an old age home in
Kathmandu and its association with some of the socio-demographic variables. Methods: One
hundred fifty elderly people residing in social welfare centre elderly home, Pashupatinath, Gaushala,
Kathmandu, Nepal were selected randomly. Geriatric depression scale (GDS) was applied in all
the individuals to assess the prevalence and degree of depression. Results: This study showed
that, 47.33% of population had depression. Among the depressed population, 70.42% had mild
depression and 29.58% had severe depression. There was significant association between the
prevalence of depression and history of physical illness. Conclusion: Depressive disorder is
highly prevalent among the elderly population residing in the old age home in Kathmandu with
history of physical illness.