Prevalence of Psychologic Impairment in an Advanced‐age Population

Abstract

Interviews were conducted in the homes of 200 persons aged 80 years or older; 100 lived in Vancouver and 100 in Victoria, B. C. Between 15 and 27 per cent showed psychologic impairment, as measured by self-reporting of symptoms, including use of prescribed psychotropic drugs. A comparison of those who were psychologically impaired with those who were psychologically healthy demonstrated that accidents, eye problems, and dearth of social contacts were significantly associated with the former group. In 74 per cent of the sample, activities were restricted in varying degrees because of health problems, and there was a surprising degree of social isolation. On the Social Interaction Index, low scores were significantly more common among the psychologically impaired, and a similar relationship between poor physical health and social isolation was demonstrated with a multiple regression analysis. The findings suggest that poor social interaction, particularly, and poor health may be predictors of psychologic distress. Extended family support is weakening, and planned programs are needed to improve the lifestyles of the aged and to prevent loneliness and alienation.

Who Experiences the Move into a Nursing Home as Stressful? Examination of the Relocation Stress Hypothesis using Archival, Time-Series Data

“…Signs of psychological distress include sleeplessness, upset with room-mate, hostility toward other residents and/or staff, worry, nervousness, tension, loneliness, depression, and confusion. That is, psychological distress was operationalized as emotional upset that affects behaviour; an operationalization which is consistent with previous research on this construct (Abrahams & Patterson, 1978;Luke, Norton, & Denbigh, 1982;Pearlin & Schooler, 1978;Tessler & Mechanic, 1978). Because nurses are very busy people, these problems would have to disrupt the regular nursing routine before they are recorded.…”

Behavioral, Social and Mental Health Aspects of Home Care for Older Americans

“…They found 13 percent (1300 people age 65 plus years or older) of the sample were suffering from an impairment in mental health at the time of the survey, as measured by the mini-mult (a'short 'form' of the MMPI), OARS, and questions used in the interview to assess mental health and life satisfaction. Further analysis of the data reveals that approximately seven percent of the community residents had definite cognitive impairment, 2.3 percent had symptoms of a major depressive disorder as defined by the Diagnostical Statistical Manual (DSMIII) and 14 percent perceived their physical health as poor where it was actually good (Blazer & Hoyt 1979) and (Luke 1982).…”