Relationship between Mental Health and physical health among Elderly

India is an ageing society with the rate of growth of ageing population exceeding the growth of the general population. The United Nation has designated 1999 as the year of older person. Aging is a problem of almost every family involving strain of caring stresses of intergenerational interaction. It has become an important socio-psychological problem of disease, disability and psychophysical deterioration occurs, ultimately the support from the family, community, society decreases. Major concern in old age is health. Health problems such as disease and disability not only directly erode mental wellbeing but also have indirect effects by priming people to have negative perceptions of their health. Deteriorated physical health exerts negative effects on the overall quality life and mental well being among elderly. Hence this study was undertaken to know the relationship between physical health status and mental health among elderly. The random sample consist of 80 male and 80 female elderly were randomly selected from Dharwad district in Karnataka state mental health inventory by Jagdish and Srivastav (1983) and status of health of elderly was assessed by physiological health problem checklist developed by Ashwini and Yadav, V.S (2011). Were used to analyses the Physical health status and mental health status. Results depicted that nearly 50 per cent of the elderly had very poor mental health status and Majority of elderly had 11 -30 number of health problems. Significant relationship was found between Physiological health and mental health among elderly as physiological health problem increased the mental health status decreased among elderly.