Within different societies, elders may be treated either with respect or as a burden. Youth has become prized, and ageism has become more prevalent. How does your country treat elders, and how do you think that plays into or against geriatric depression?
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In my culture, broadly, that is, African culture, elders are prized and treated with utmost respect. Children work hard just so they could give back to the older community by caring for them. It is also widely believed that disrespect to the elderly, especially one’s own parent/ grandparent, could potentially lead into a life filled with misery. For such reasons, the elderly tend to be held as wise, knowledgeable and should be respected. Because of this, depression in the elderly is rarely ever heard of, except , perhaps, because of fear of approaching death or reminiscing the youth days passed, and even then, it’s rarely ever chronic. Of course, other mental issues such as schizophrenia, are more common among them, but depression is a topic that is rarely spoken about when it comes to the elderly.
In Bangladesh and other countries in the Indian subcontinent, elderlies are similarly treated with great respect. However, there is also a broad conception that elders need to treated tenderly because they cannot care for themselves. I think this forced dependency, although it stems from good intentions, can negatively contribute to an elder's mental health. It can make them believe themselves that they are incapable or weak.
Although this aspect of African culture is seen as the norm, I do believe that just because the issue of depression isn't discussed, that doesn't mean it does not exist. In many African cultures, mental health is not something that's taken seriously. I've heard multiple times from family or in African media that mental health is a "white people" problem and that therapists are useless and for those who are mentally weak, etc. The support and respect for the elderly can do wonders in boosting self-esteem and a feeling of importance, but respect doesn't prevent depression. As Sabahat said above, it can lead to feelings of forced dependency and weakness.
In the U.S., it's becoming increasingly accepted to put elderly people in retirement homes when they suffer from unmanageable mental illnesses (just like for physical illnesses). Speaking to many of my friends from East Asia, however, I understand that there tends to be a stigma against putting elderly family members in either retirement homes or hospices. Because elders, in some households, are seen as the most respected members of the family, I can understand why it would be horrifying to "send them away" to be taken care of by strangers. In the U.S., however, retirement homes/hospices are seen as a normal option for families who don't have the time or means to take care of the elderly members of the family. Although I don't know where I stand on the issue, I can see both sides of the argument -- hopefully I figure out my stance before I grow old myself!
I can speak to the stigma against retirement homes in East Asia; one of the things I've heard growing up was to "get a good job so that [I] can take care of my parents when they get old", but if I'm the one who ends up taking care of my parents, who are my parents going to take care of? One of the most commonly discussed causes of geriatric depression is, simply put in adolescent terms, "fomo", or the feeling of missing out, except that in this case the elderly might feel a loss of purpose. It's generally understandable, because I know that if I spent more than a decade or two of my life raising an individual and teaching them to be a good person in society, I'd definitely feel confused or puzzled after the job is done. From my perspective, the East Asian view of family is that we take care of each other: the parents and the adults are the breadwinners, and the children take over that role when they get older, but the elderly, although highly revered and respected, don't have much of a role other than to impart their wisdom on the youth. Caring for the family is a hard job, and the reward at the end of it all is to, in turn, be taken care of by the family. It's especially visible at the dinner table: my parents serve food to their parents, and when I reach "that age", I will be the one serving food to my parents, like in a pattern or a cycle. But suddenly being thrown into a relatively inactive life can be, disorienting or confusing, and might even seem less important. In some cases, this leads to geriatric depression. At this point in my life, I'm speaking from the purely theoretical point of view, but I'd like to hear what others have to say.
Look cultural views or even simple statistics on geriatric depression in South Korea, I found very few sources providing information on this topic. This lack of resources online demonstrates the lack of attention and awareness surrounding geriatric depression in Korea, or in East Asia in general. There are very few studies that have been done to examine the state of geriatric depression in Korea, and there are very few studies that have been done to examine the state of geriatric depression in East Asia overall. Simply put, people are not interested in this issue. As @mlee20 mentioned, it may be the case that because of the high societal respect and treatment that elders receive in eastern Asian countries, geriatric depression is not as commonly talked about or not commonly existent. However, there is a need for more research on this topic to ensure that the health needs of all populations are met.
I suspect my grandfather suffers from depression, but in many ways his Indian upbringing has prevented him from getting the help he needs. He grew up in a war zone which definitely is not good for anyone. He has never liked the idea of others caring for him in any way. His independence is the most important thing.