Psychology, psychiatry and quality of life

Effects of a smartphone-based videoconferencing program for older nursing home residents on depression, loneliness, and quality of life: a quasi-experimental study

Smartphones can optimize the opportunities for interactions between nursing home residents and their families. However, the effectiveness of smartphone-based videoconferencing programs in enhancing emotional s...

Authors: Hsiu-Hsin Tsai, Ching-Yu Cheng, Wann-Yun Shieh and Yue-Cune Chang

“I just keep thinking that I don’t want to rely on people.” a qualitative study of how people living with dementia achieve and maintain independence at home: stakeholder perspectives

Most people living with dementia want to remain in their own homes, supported by family and paid carers. Care at home often breaks down, necessitating transition to a care home and existing interventions are l...

Authors: Penny Rapaport, Alexandra Burton, Monica Leverton, Ruminda Herat-Gunaratne, Jules Beresford-Dent, Kathryn Lord, Murna Downs, Sue Boex, Rossana Horsley, Clarissa Giebel and Claudia Cooper

Measuring fidelity of delivery of the Community Occupational Therapy in Dementia-UK intervention

Interpreting data about intervention effectiveness requires an understanding of which intervention components were delivered and whether they were delivered as planned (fidelity of delivery). These studies aim...

Authors: Holly Walton, Ildiko Tombor, Jane Burgess, Hilary Groarke, Tom Swinson, Jennifer Wenborn, Aimee Spector, Martin Orrell, Gail Mountain and Susan Michie

A qualitative study of older adults’ perspectives on initiating exercise and mindfulness practice

Mindfulness practice and exercise are ways by which older adults can improve and maintain their physical, emotional and cognitive health.

Authors: Diana C. Parra, Julie Loebach Wetherell, Alexandria Van Zandt, Ross C. Brownson, Janardan Abhishek and Eric J. Lenze

Five-factor model personality traits and cognitive function in five domains in older adulthood

Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits have been associated consistently with risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Less is known about how these traits are associated with functioning ...

Authors: Angelina R. Sutin, Yannick Stephan, Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano

Comparison of body mass index range criteria and their association with cognition, functioning and depression: a cross-sectional study in Mexican older adults

World population is living longer, demanding adjustments in public health policies. Body mass index (BMI) is widely known and used as a parameter and predictor of health status although an adapted criterion fo...

Authors: Damaris Francis Estrella-Castillo and Lizzette Gómez-de-Regil

The need for improved cognitive, hearing and vision assessments for older people with cognitive impairment: a qualitative study

Hearing and vision (sensory) impairments are highly prevalent in people with dementia (PwD) and exacerbate the impact of living with dementia. Assessment of sensory or cognitive function may be difficult if pe...

Authors: Lucas Wolski, Iracema Leroi, Jemma Regan, Piers Dawes, Anna Pavlina Charalambous, Chryssoula Thodi, Juliana Prokopiou, Roxane Villeneuve, Catherine Helmer, Abebaw Mengistu Yohannes and Ines Himmelsbach

Depressive symptoms in long term care facilities in Western Canada: a cross sectional study

The main objective is to better understand the prevalence of depressive symptoms, in long-term care (LTC) residents with or without cognitive impairment across Western Canada. Secondary objectives are to exami...

Authors: Matthias Hoben, Abigail Heninger, Jayna Holroyd-Leduc, Jennifer Knopp-Sihota, Carole Estabrooks and Zahra Goodarzi

Comparison of health-related quality of life between the Han and Yi ethnicity elderly in the Yi autonomous areas of Yunnan Province

The purpose of this research was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional abilities of Yi and Han elderly who resided in Yi Autonomous prefecture or Counties in Yunnan Province, as w...

Authors: Lingyun Ran, Hongqian Kong, Mengqi Du, Jianhui He, Qiong Zhong, Yuanyuan Ran, Yanping Si, Jiang Zhang, Cheng Yao, Huineng Luo and Qin Ye

Being the next of kin of an older person living in a nursing home: an interview study about quality of life

The length of stay in nursing homes before death in Sweden has significantly decreased, and nearly one-third of people die within 6 weeks of entering a nursing home. Support for the next of kin is one of the c...

Authors: Helena Rosén, Lina Behm, Birgitta Wallerstedt and Gerd Ahlström

Friendships that money can buy: financial security protects health in retirement by enabling social connectedness

Research on the health and wellbeing of retirees has tended to focus on financial security and financial planning. However, we suggest that one reason why financial security is important for retirees is that i...

Authors: Tegan Cruwys, Catherine Haslam, Niklas K. Steffens, S. Alexander Haslam, Polly Fong and Ben C. P. Lam

Item response analysis of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory among the elderly in China: dimensionality and differential item functioning test

Anxiety symptoms are pervasive among elderly populations around the world. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (the GAI) has been developed and widely used in screening those suffering from severe symptoms. Althou...

Authors: Zhongquan Li, Xia Zhao, Ang Sheng and Li Wang

Relationship between meaning in life and death anxiety in the elderly: self-esteem as a mediator

Death anxiety is a common phenomenon in all societies. Older adults may be more prone to death anxiety than their younger counterparts; however, death anxiety among older adults is not well understood. This st...

Authors: Jiaxi Zhang, Jiaxi Peng, Pan Gao, He Huang, Yunfei Cao, Lulu Zheng and Danmin Miao

Systematic review and meta-analysis of second-generation antidepressants for the treatment of older adults with depression: questionable benefit and considerations for frailty

Frail older adults are commonly prescribed antidepressants. Yet, there is little evidence to determine the efficacy and safety of antidepressants to treat depression with concomitant frailty. To better underst...

Authors: Laurie Mallery, Tanya MacLeod, Michael Allen, Pamela McLean-Veysey, Natasha Rodney-Cail, Evan Bezanson, Brian Steeves, Constance LeBlanc and Paige Moorhouse

In-hospital care prior to assisted and unassisted suicide in swiss older people: a state-level retrospective study

Authors: Nathalie Dieudonné-Rahm, Sandra Burkhardt and Sophie Pautex

Interactions between subjective memory complaint and objective cognitive deficit on memory performances

Subjective memory complaint (SMCs) is a common trait amongst older population. The subjective cognition about their memory could depend on objective cognition. The aim of the current study was to examine the i...

Authors: Soowon Park, Ji-Hye Lee, Jiyeon Lee, Youngsung Cho, Hyun Gyu Park, Yongjoon Yoo, Jung-Hae Youn, Seung-Ho Ryu, Jae Yeon Hwang, Jeongsim Kim and Jun-Young Lee

Impact of a delirium prevention project among older hospitalized patients who underwent orthopedic surgery: a retrospective cohort study

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common clinical syndrome with significant negative outcomes. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a delirium screening tool and multidisciplinary de...

Authors: Jung-Yeon Choi, Kwang-il Kim, Min-gu Kang, Young-Kyun Lee, Kyung-Hoi Koo, Joo Han Oh, Young Ho Park, Jeewon Suh, Nak-Hyun Kim, Hyun-Jung Yoo, Jahyun Koo, Hyun Mi Moon, Eun Hui Kim, Kayoung Park and Cheol-Ho Kim

Psychometric properties of the geriatric quality of life-dementia in older adults with dementia or mild cognitive impairment living in nursing homes

Given the theoretical and methodological limitations, there is insufficient knowledge about the psychometric properties and internal structure of quality of life (QOL) measurements for patients with dementia l...

Authors: Eun-Young Park, Seon-Min Park and Jung-Hee Kim

Melatonin for the prevention of postoperative delirium in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Older surgical patients are at high risk of developing postoperative delirium. Non-pharmacological strategies are recommended for delirium prevention, but no pharmacological agents have compelling evidence to ...

Authors: Ashley M. Campbell, David Rhys Axon, Jennifer R. Martin, Marion K. Slack, Lea Mollon and Jeannie K. Lee

Theory and Design of the Community for successful ageing (ComSA) program in Singapore: connecting BioPsychoSocial health and quality of life experiences of older adults

Despite the emphasis on holistic health promotion in community programs for older people, few studies explicitly consider how BioPsychoSocial (BPS) health elements are interconnected and function to improve Qu...

Authors: Su Aw, Gerald C. H. Koh, Chuen Seng Tan, Mee Lian Wong, Hubertus J. M. Vrijhoef, Susana Concordo Harding, Mary Ann B. Geronimo and Zoe J. L. Hildon

TV-based assistive integrated service to support European adults living with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment (TV-AssistDem): study protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial

Mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia progressively compromise the ability of people to live independently and can have a negative impact on their quality of life. Within the current European Active and ...

Authors: Jessica Marian Goodman-Casanova, José Guzmán-Parra, Gloria Guerrero, Elisa Vera, Pilar Barnestein-Fonseca, Gabriella Cortellessa, Francesca Fracasso, Alessandro Umbrico, Amedeo Cesta, Diana Toma, Flavia Boghiu, Rodolphe Dewarrat, Valentina Triantafyllidou, Elena Tamburini, Pietro Dionisio and Fermín Mayoral

Effectiveness of a group-based psychosocial program to prevent depression and anxiety in older people attending primary health care centres: a randomised controlled trial

Evidence about the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to reduce the incidence of depression and anxiety and promote subjective well-being in older people is limited, particularly in Latin-American cou...

Authors: Sandra Saldivia, Carolina Inostroza, Claudio Bustos, Paulina Rincón, Joseph Aslan, Vasily Bühring, Maryam Farhang, Michael King and Félix Cova

Understanding changes and stability in the long-term use of technologies by seniors who are aging in place: a dynamical framework

If technologies are to support aging in place, then it is important to develop fundamental knowledge on what causes stability and changes in the use of technologies by seniors. However, longitudinal studies on...

Authors: S. T. M. Peek, K. G. Luijkx, H. J. M. Vrijhoef, M. E. Nieboer, S. Aarts, C. S. van der Voort, M. D. Rijnaard and E. J. M. Wouters

The course of depressive symptoms with decline in cognitive function - a longitudinal study of older adults receiving in-home care at baseline

Depressive symptoms in old age are common, but the prevalence, persistence, and incidence of depressive symptoms in older adults with and without dementia receiving in-home care is less well studied, and descr...

Authors: Anne-Sofie Helvik, Maria Lage Barca, Sverre Bergh, Jūratė Šaltytė-Benth, Øyvind Kirkevold and Tom Borza

Sleep disorders among educationally active elderly people in Bialystok, Poland: a cross-sectional study

Sleep disorders in an ageing society constitute a significant public health problem. It is estimated that approximately 50% of people aged 55 years and older have trouble sleeping, including initiating and mai...

Authors: Mateusz Cybulski, Lukasz Cybulski, Elzbieta Krajewska-Kulak, Magda Orzechowska, Urszula Cwalina and Krystyna Kowalczuk

Perceptions and expectations of health-related quality of life among geriatric patients seeking emergency care: a qualitative study

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), encompassing social, emotional, and physical wellbeing is an important clinical outcome of medical care, especially among geriatric patients. It is unclear which domains...

Authors: Scott M. Dresden, Danielle M. McCarthy, Kirsten G. Engel and D. Mark Courtney

Factors related to health-related quality of life in older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption over a two-year period

The prevalence of multimorbidity is increasing worldwide, and older people with multimorbidity are frequent users of health care services. Since multimorbidity has a significant negative impact on Health-relat...

Authors: Leonie Klompstra, Anne W. Ekdahl, Barbro Krevers, Anna Milberg and Jeanette Eckerblad

Effects of intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia on mobility and perceived health in geriatric patients performing a multimodal training intervention: a randomized controlled trial

Additional benefits of passive exposures to intermittent hypoxia and hyperoxia on cognitive performance and functional exercise capacity have been demonstrated in geriatric patients who performed a multimodal ...

Authors: Ulrike Bayer, Rudolf Likar, Georg Pinter, Haro Stettner, Susanne Demschar, Brigitte Trummer, Stefan Neuwersch, Oleg Glazachev and Martin Burtscher

Validity of a novel screen for cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms in cardiac rehabilitation

Currently, there is no composite screening tool that can efficiently and effectively assess prevalent yet under-recognized cognitive and neuropsychiatric comorbidities in patients with cardiovascular disease. ...

Authors: Dana Mohammad, Nathan Herrmann, Mahwesh Saleem, Richard H. Swartz, Paul I. Oh, Janelle Bradley, Parco Chan, Courtney Ellis and Krista L. Lanctôt

“We live as good a life as we can, in the situation we’re in” – the significance of the home as perceived by persons with dementia

The coming years will see more persons with dementia living longer at home. However, “the home” is a complex concept with a multitude of meanings, varying among individuals and raising ethical and practical di...

Authors: Stein Erik Fæø, Bettina S. Husebo, Frøydis Kristine Bruvik and Oscar Tranvåg

Pain and symptoms of depression: international comparative study on selected factors affecting the quality of life of elderly people residing in institutions in Europe

As the number of elderly people is on the rise in societies throughout the world, providing them with optimal care is becoming a major demand, especially in the context of rising interest in institutional care...

Authors: Izabela Wróblewska, Dorota Talarska, Zuzanna Wróblewska, Robert Susło and Jarosław Drobnik

Factors promoting Iranian older adults’ spirituality: a qualitative content analysis

Spirituality plays an important role during old age, but reveals itself as a confounding mental health concept, which needs to be defined when providing spiritual care. The purpose of this study was to explore...

Authors: Fatemeh Hajinejad, Ebrahim Ebrahimi, Anneke de Jong and Maryam Ravanipour

Validation of Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination III for detecting mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Japan

Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is very important to begin appropriate treatment promptly and to prevent disease exacerbation. We investigated the screening accuracy of the Japa...

Authors: Shintaro Takenoshita, Seishi Terada, Hidenori Yoshida, Megumi Yamaguchi, Mayumi Yabe, Nao Imai, Makiko Horiuchi, Tomoko Miki, Osamu Yokota and Norihito Yamada

Prevalence and persistent use of psychotropic drugs in older adults receiving domiciliary care at baseline

Little is known about the use of psychotropic drugs in older adults receiving domiciliary care. The first aim was to describe the prevalence and persistency of use of psychotropic drugs in older adults (≥ 70 y...

Authors: Marie Turmo Lornstad, Marte Aarøen, Sverre Bergh, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth and Anne-Sofie Helvik

Elder abuse victimization patterns: latent class analysis using perpetrators and abusive behaviours

Research on elder abuse has defined it as a multidimensional construct that encompasses a set of different abusive behaviours, victims, perpetrators and settings. The array of possible elder abuse configuratio...

Authors: Ana João Santos, Baltazar Nunes, Irina Kislaya, Ana Paula Gil and Oscar Ribeiro

Predictors of unmet needs in Chilean older people with dementia: a cross-sectional study

The needs of people with dementia (PWD) have not been assessed in any Latin American country. Several European countries have already related unmet needs with quality of life, caregiver’s age, burden, stress, ...

Authors: Thamara Tapia Muñoz, Andrea Slachevsky, María O. León-Campos, Michel Madrid, Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar, Gustav C. Rohde and Claudia Miranda-Castillo

Quality of life profile in three cohorts of community-dwelling Swiss older people

Quality of life (QoL) is a subjective and dynamic concept resulting from an interplay between importance of and satisfaction with different aspects of life. However, it is unclear whether social contexts exper...

Authors: Nazanin Abolhassani, Brigitte Santos-Eggimann, Christophe Büla, René Goy, Idris Guessous and Yves Henchoz

Non-spouse companions accompanying older adults to medical visits: a qualitative analysis

Medical Visit Companions (MVCs) are encouraged for older adults’ routine medical encounters. Little data exist on the experiences and contributions of non-spouse companions for the growing population of older ...

Authors: Orla C. Sheehan, Anita L. Graham-Phillips, John D. Wilson, Deidra C. Crews, Cheryl L. Holt, Jennifer Gabbard, Katherine C. Smith, Jennifer L. Wolff and David L. Roth

CareACT - internet-based intervention for enhancing the psychological well-being of elderly caregivers – a study protocol of a controlled trial

The rapid increase in the number of elderly family caregivers underlines the need for new support systems. Internet-delivered psychological interventions are a potential approach, as they are easy to access fo...

Authors: Päivi Lappalainen, Inka Pakkala and Riku Nikander

The cost-effectiveness of a telephone-based intervention to support caregivers of older people discharged from hospital

A telephone intervention for caregivers of older people discharged from hospital was shown to improve preparedness to care, reduce caregiver strain and caregiver distress. No cost-effectiveness analysis has be...

Authors: David Youens, Richard Parsons, Christine Toye, Susan Slatyer, Samar Aoun, Keith D. Hill, Matthew Skinner, Sean Maher, Sue Davis, Rebecca Osseiran-Moisson and Rachael Moorin

Implementation and evaluation of a driving cessation intervention to improve community mobility and wellbeing outcomes for people living with dementia: study protocol of the ‘CarFreeMe’ for people with dementia program

Giving up driving is a pivotal life event and universal challenge for people living with dementia and their families, and a complex area of clinical practice for health professionals who monitor driving cessat...

Authors: Theresa Scott, Jacki Liddle, Geoffrey Mitchell, Elizabeth Beattie and Nancy Pachana

Association between health behaviors and mood disorders among the elderly: a community-based cohort study

According to a WHO report, nearly 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder, constituting 6.6% of the total disability for this age group. Taipei City faces rapid transformation towards an a...

Authors: Tzu-Jung Tseng, Yi-Syuan Wu, Jia-Hong Tang, Yen-Hui Chiu, Yu-Ting Lee, I-Chun Fan and Ta-Chien Chan

Development and validation of a simple screening tool for caregiver grief in dementia caregiving

Loss and grief are experienced by caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD), relating to the ambiguous loss of PWD even when they are still alive and the anticipation of future loss related to their physical d...

Authors: Tau Ming Liew, Bee Choo Tai, Philip Yap and Gerald Choon-Huat Koh

Cognitive function in Prefrail and frail community-dwelling older adults in China

Physical frailty, characterized by reduced physiologic complexity and ability to cope with stressors, is closely associated with cognitive impairment, which increases the risk of poor clinical outcomes. To bet...

Authors: Lina Ma, Li Zhang, Fei Sun, Yun Li and Zhe Tang

The (cost-) effectiveness of exergaming in people living with dementia and their informal caregivers: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Physical activity is linked to benefits such as increased physical fitness, cognition, emotional and social functioning, general health and well-being in older people. Some evidence suggests that this also app...

Authors: Joeke van Santen, Rose-Marie Dröes, Judith E. Bosmans, Olivier A. Blanson Henkemans, Sjef van Bommel, Esther Hakvoort, Ronald Valk, Carla Scholten, Joris Wiersinga, Annemieke van Straten and Franka Meiland

Kaumātua Mana Motuhake: A study protocol for a peer education intervention to help Māori elders work through later-stage life transitions

The Aotearoa/New Zealand population is ageing and numerous studies demonstrate with this phenomenon comes increases in non-communicable diseases, injuries and healthcare costs among other issues. Further, sign...

Authors: John G. Oetzel, Brendan Hokowhitu, Mary Simpson, Rangimahora Reddy, Sophie Nock, Hineitimoana Greensill, Michael P. Cameron, Pare Meha, Kirsten Johnston, Truely Harding, Pita Shelford and Linda Tuhiwai Smith

Study protocol of a multi-center RCT testing a social-cognitive intervention to promote volunteering in older adults against an active control

Volunteering could be a win-win opportunity for older adults: Links between volunteering and societal improvements as well as older adults’ own health and longevity are found in several observational studies. ...

Authors: Lisa M. Warner, Da Jiang, Alice Ming-Lin Chong, Tianyuan Li, Julia K. Wolff and Kee-Lee Chou

Change in quality of life and potentially associated factors in patients receiving home-based primary care: a prospective cohort study

The trajectories for health-related quality of life of patients receiving home-based primary care are not well identified. Our objective was to investigate changes in the quality of life (QOL) and factors that...

Authors: Chi-Hsien Huang, Hiroyuki Umegaki, Hiroko Kamitani, Atushi Asai, Shigeru Kanda, Keiko Maeda, Hideki Nomura and Masafumi Kuzuya

Refining caregiver vulnerability for clinical practice: determinants of self-rated health in spousal dementia caregivers

Caregivers of a family member with a chronic disability or illness such as dementia are at increased risk for chronic disease. There are many factors that contribute to dementia caregiver vulnerability and the...

Authors: Roland von Känel, Brent T. Mausbach, Joel E. Dimsdale, Michael G. Ziegler, Paul J. Mills, Matthew A. Allison, Thomas L. Patterson, Sonia Ancoli-Israel and Igor Grant

Influence of activity space on the association between neighborhood characteristics and dementia risk: results from the 3-City study cohort

Socioeconomic level of residential environment was found to influence cognitive performance. However, individuals from the same place of residence may be affected differently. We aim to investigate for the fir...

Authors: Noémie Letellier, Isabelle Carrière, Laure-Anne Gutierrez, Audrey Gabelle, Jean-François Dartigues, Carole Dufouil, Catherine Helmer, Emmanuelle Cadot and Claudine Berr