Abstract BACKGROUND: Depression in the elderly is often inadequately diagnosed and insufficiently treated. Regardless of the nature of the depression, the influence and the impact of the biological, situational, social and psychological factors would be more important in old subjects than in young ones when the disorder occurs. The nursing home, as an institution, is another factor facilitating the appearance of depression. AIM: The aim of our survey is to determine the prevalence of depression in old people living in a nursing home and to evaluate the degree of their autonomy. METHODS: Our study is a transverse, descriptive and analytical survey carried out on 35 old people at a nursing home in Sfax. Forty residents were excluded from this survey for reasons of dementia (25 cases), debility (5 cases), disabling psychiatric pathologies (4 cases), deafness (5 cases) and one resident who refused the interview. The evaluation has been achieved using two scales specific to the geriatric practice: • The scale of depression: GDS (geriatric depression Scale) applied to 30 items. • The scale of autonomy: IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) applied to 6 items. RESULTS: • The examined population was composed of 35 people aged from 65 to 93 with a sex ratio of 1.05. • 51.4% of the residents were in a state of depression. • Depression was more frequent in: • Female subjects (58.8% of women compared to 44.4% of men) • Subjects aged less than 70 (66% of subjects aged less than 70 versus 40% of older subjects) • 17.1% of the residents were independent, 42.9% were dependent and 40% were heavily dependent. CONCLUSION: Depression in the elderly is related to several depressice factors particularly for patients living in institution. This situation needs very important adaptive capacities.