A psychosocial model of functional disability

Abstract

With advancing age, many older adults are vulnerable to a decline in physical functioning. Functional disability has been shown to affect the subjective well-being of the individual, and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Social support is commonly assumed to protect people from the experience of psychological distress and enhance well-being. Other studies have demonstrated that satisfaction with social support, rather than the frequency with which support was received, is a powerful predictor of self-reported health status. The present study tests a psychosocial model of functional disability in two elderly populations (61 years of age and older): 178 seniors living in the community (136 females and 42 males) and 168 in-patients in a rehabilitation hospital following total hip and knee arthroplasty (118 females and 50 males). Predictors of functional disability were age, gender, and satisfaction with support. In this model, functional disability, with its related loss of independent functioning, was expected to lead to depression. Results indicated that the two samples differed slightly. Specifically, the elderly in the community sample were significantly older than the rehabilitation patients, whereas the hospital sample reported greater functional disability and were more satisfied with their social relations than the community-residing elderly. Results of path analysis in both samples showed that women reported more functional disability than men and satisfaction with support was associated with lower functional disability. Furthermore, functional disability led directly to depression in both samples. Practical implications for the maintenance and enhancement of daily functioning, as well as well-being in later life are discussed.Since people in general are living longer than in the past, the elderly population is growing, and functional disability associated with increasing age is a growing concern. Functional disability refers to the inability to perform basic self-care Send correspondence to

Correlates of Functional Capacity Among Centenarians

“…With regard to gender and ethnicity, we did not find differences in functional capacity. This stands in contrast to other reported studies linking these demographic characteristics to functional capacity (Fiksenbaum et al, 2005;Liang et al, 2003;Mendes de Leon et al, 2005). Previous studies, however, have been conducted with younger old adults and it is possible that gender and ethnicity differences converge at the very end of the biological lifespan.…”

“…Such resources, however, are important when engaging in a number of daily activities. Other studies have also indicated a positive association between social support and functional capacity (Avlund et al, 2004;Fiksenbaum et al, 2005). Perhaps the continued encouragement by a social support system may prompt centenarians to continue their engagement in activities of daily living.…”

“…Liang et al (2003) reported for a Japanese sample that men were more likely to be functionally impaired than women. Fiksenbaum, Greenglass, Marques, and Eaton (2005), on the other hand, noted that men in their study of older adults had higher functional capacity scores than women. With regard to ethnicity, studies have pointed out racial disparities in disabilities with African Americans reporting higher disability levels than Whites (e.g., Mendes de Leon, Barnes, Bienias, Skarupski, & Evans, 2005).…”

A Causal Model of Depression Among Older Adults in Chon Buri Province, Thailand

“…These mechanisms increase the risk of depression (Holmes & Rahe, 1967). In addition, older adults live with functional disabilities and may become dependent, so that they react with feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, which, in turn, increase their risk of depression (Fiksenbaum, Greenglass, Marques, & Eaton, 2005). Thus, nurses or health care providers should consider both a decrease of functional ability in older adults and the older adults' coping strategies, particularly emotional-focused coping strategies, in developing nursing intervention programs to reduce depression.…”

The influence of social support, lifestyle and functional disability on psychological distress in rural China: Structural equation modelling

“…11 Healthy lifestyles can predict less psychological distress 12 and less functional disability. 11 Healthy lifestyles can predict less psychological distress 12 and less functional disability.…”