Culturally Appropriate Assessment of Depression and Anxiety in Older Torres Strait Islanders: Limitations and Recommendations

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.

Methods: A modified version of the PHQ-9 (KICA-dep) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) were administered as part of a wider dementia prevalence study conducted in the Torres Strait. Results were compared to diagnoses obtained on Geriatric review to evaluate their applicability in the region.

Results: A total of 236 participants completed the KICA-dep and 184 completed the GAI short form. Of these, 10.6% were identified with depression and 15.8% with anxiety. Some participants found questions about suicide ideation and self-harm offensive and others had difficulty understanding concepts on the GAI. The KICA-dep performed poorly in comparison to diagnosis on geriatric clinical review, so results are unlikely to reflect the true prevalence of depression in the region.

Conclusions: Further research is required to explore the underlying dimensions of depression and anxiety and terminology used to express mood symptoms in the Torres Strait.

Clinical Implications: • Current mental health screening tools are not applicable for the Torres Strait• More work is required to determine how symptoms of depression and anxiety are expressed within Torres Strait communities.