Research Information System
11th International Acharaka Congress on Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Sciences, Baku, Azerbaijan, 15 - 17 June 2025, vol.1, pp.930-939, (Full Text)
Depressive disorders and Alzheimer’s disease are two of the most prevalent and disabling mental health conditions worldwide, often co-occurring in older adults. This study aims to analyze the prevalence trends of depressive disorders and Alzheimer’s disease in Türkiye and globally from 1990 to 2021, and to investigate the longitudinal relationship between these conditions within the Turkish population. This study utilized Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data to assess annual prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for depressive disorders and Alzheimer’s disease in Türkiye and worldwide from 1990 to 2021. Descriptive analyses were performed to identify trends over time. To examine the long-term association between depression and Alzheimer’s disease in Türkiye, Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used, adjusting for age distribution to control for confounding effects related to population aging. Global Alzheimer’s Prevalence in 2021 was 720.49 per 100,000 (UI: 625.77–823.40), reflecting a 76% increase since 1990 (UI: 0.73–0.80). While, this situation in Türkiye was 823.35 (UI: 711.90–941.50), higher than the global rate. Global DALYs were 460.41 (UI: 218.43–974.14), showing an 81% increase (UI: 0.73–0.89). DALYs in Türkiye were 480.67 (UI: 235.18–1006.83), slightly above global levels, with a 96% increase (UI: 0.72–1.19). Results of GEE indicated that, over time, higher levels or rates of depressive disorders were associated with increased rates of Alzheimer’s disease in Türkiye. The global burden of Alzheimer’s and depression is rising, with a slightly greater increase in Türkiye. This trend suggests depression may contribute to or signal early Alzheimer’s development. Policymakers should include depression screening and treatment in dementia prevention programs. Addressing depression is not only crucial for mental health but may also serve as a public health strategy to lessen Alzheimer’s disease burden in Türkiye.