The Effect of Depressive and Insomnia Symptoms in Quality of Life among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms, and comorbid depressive and insomnia symptoms on the quality of life among community-dwelling older adults in an urban area of central Greece. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 older adults (aged ≥60) collected from five Open Care Centers for Elderly People of the Municipality of Larissa, Greece. Data were obtained through a questionnaire that included demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related characteristics; the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL)-Bref questionnaire; the Geriatric Depression Scale; and the Athens Insomnia Scale. The prevalences of depression, insomnia, and comorbid depression and insomnia were 28% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 21.8–34.2%), 40.5% (95% CI: 33.7–47.3%), and 19% (95% CI: 13.5–24.5%), respectively. The mean WHOQoL-Bref score for all domains was approximately 14.50, with the highest mean value observed for psychological health (14.79 ± 2.60), followed by the physical health (14.49 ± 2.66), social relationships (14.39 ± 2.03), and environmental domains (14.32 ± 1.90). All WHOQoL-Bref domains were negatively correlated with depression and insomnia. Older adults with depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms, and comorbid depressive and insomnia symptoms had lower scores in all quality of life dimensions compared with those without.

Prevalence of insomnia and its association with quality of life among Macau residents shortly after the summer 2022 COVID-19 outbreak: A network analysis perspective

“…The negative relationship between insomnia and QoL observed here has been found in other studies ( 77 – 79 ). In the flow network model, insomnia symptoms of “Sleep dissatisfaction” (ISI4), “Interference with daytime functioning” (ISI5) and “Distress caused by sleep difficulties” (ISI7) had the strongest, most direct negative associations with QoL and are plausible targets for reducing insomnia and improving QoL.…”

“…Poor sleep quality (e.g., insufficient sleep) corresponds to poor physical or mental health outcomes including high blood pressure ( 82 ), cardiovascular diseases ( 83 ), depression ( 84 ) and suicidal behavior ( 85 ). In addition, poor sleep can deplete energy during the daytime and interfere with the daily functioning of samples assessed during the pandemic ( 77 , 86 ). Maintaining a daily routine (e.g., work or studying) may play an important role in maintaining QoL ( 87 ).…”

Late Life Depression: A Narrative Review

“…In another quality of life study, depression and insomnia symptoms contributed to quality of life based on the World Health Quality of Life and the Geriatric Depression Scales [6]. In this sample from Greece (N=200 adults who were greater than 60-years-old), 28% experienced depression, 41% had insomnia and 19% had comorbid depression and insomnia.…”

“…The prevalence of late life depression has varied from a low of 7% in Italy (Fanelli et al, 2020) to a high of 37% in Chile [2] ( Table 1). The prevalence between those lower and upper rates has ranged between lows of 8% for Ghana [3], 9% for China [4], 12% for Ireland (Briggs et al, 2018), and 13% for Germany [5], but significantly higher rates at 27% for France and 28% for Greece [6].…”

Social services for the elderly: a multivariate perspective study

“…These results are in line with those reported by Rondón et al (2018), which indicate that social relationships, whether due to the frequency of contacts or the size of the social network, are determinant in the health of older people and in the way they manage the illnesses. Recent studies establish a relationship between health status and social relationships (Tsaras et al, 2022).…”