Psychology, psychiatry and quality of life

Disease severity accounts for minimal variance of quality of life in people with dementia and their carers: analyses of cross-sectional data from the MODEM study

Due to the progressive nature of dementia, it is important to understand links between disease severity and health-related outcomes. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between disease severit...

Authors: Nicolas Farina, Derek King, Clare Burgon, Sharne Berwald, Elizabeth Bustard, Yvonne Feeney, Ruth Habibi, Adelina Comas-Herrera, Martin Knapp and Sube Banerjee

Safety of pharmacologic interventions for neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Prescribing trends suggest that pharmacologic alternatives to antipsychotics are gaining in popularity, but randomized trial (RCT) data of their comparative safety is scarce. Our objective was to describe the ...

Authors: Jennifer A. Watt, Zahra Goodarzi, Areti Angeliki Veroniki, Vera Nincic, Paul A. Khan, Marco Ghassemi, Yuan Thompson, Yonda Lai, Victoria Treister, Andrea C. Tricco and Sharon E. Straus

Symptom management strategies used by older community-dwelling people with multimorbidity and a high symptom burden - a qualitative study

Older community-dwelling people with multimorbidity are often not only vulnerable, but also suffer from several conditions that could produce a multiplicity of symptoms. This results in a high symptom burden a...

Authors: Jeanette Eckerblad, Nana Waldréus, Åsa Johansson Stark and Lisa Ring Jacobsson

Cardiovascular and all-cause mortality attributable to loneliness in older Swedish men and women

This study examined whether loneliness predicts cardiovascular- and all-cause mortality in older men and women.

Authors: Masuma Novak, Margda Waern, Lena Johansson, Anna Zettergren, Lina Ryden, Hanna Wetterberg, Pia Gudmundsson and Ingmar Skoog

Technologically-enhanced psychological interventions for older adults: a scoping review

The world population is getting older. As life expectancy increases, traditional health care systems are facing different challenges in terms of cost reduction and high-quality service delivery capability. New...

Authors: F. Vailati Riboni, B. Comazzi, K. Bercovitz, G. Castelnuovo, E. Molinari and F. Pagnini

Kaumātua Mana Motuhake: peer education intervention to help Māori elders during later-stage life transitions

Aotearoa/New Zealand has a population that is ageing and there are challenges to health and social outcomes related to related to key life transitions (e.g., retirement, change in health conditions, loss of sp...

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

Relationships of self-management abilities to loneliness among older people: a cross-sectional study

We investigated relationships of broader self-management abilities (self-efficacy, positive frame of mind, investment behavior, taking initiatives, multifunctionality of resources, variety of resources) to soc...

Authors: Anna Petra Nieboer, KlaasJan Hajema and Jane Murray Cramm

Longitudinal association between housing accessibility and activities of daily living: the role of self-efficacy and control in people ageing with Parkinson’s disease

External housing-related control beliefs (HCB) and general self-efficacy (GSE) influence different health outcomes in the general ageing population, but there is no information of their role in people ageing w...

Authors: Giedre Gefenaite, Jonas Björk, Susanne Iwarsson, Björn Slaug, Steven M. Schmidt and Maria H. Nilsson

The association between sleep quality and loneliness in rural older individuals: a cross-sectional study in Shandong Province, China

There is a evidence of negative association between loneliness and sleep quality in older adults. However, little is known regarding the relationship between loneliness and sleep quality among Chinese rural ol...

Authors: Gaizhen Jia and Ping Yuan

Suspected Aripiprazole-induced neutropenia in a geriatric patient: a case report

Aripiprazole, a third-generation antipsychotic medication, has been used to treat a range of psychiatric disorders. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s prescribing information, the most common...

Authors: Tyler Torrico, Nakisa Kiai, Carlos Meza, Md Towhid Salam and Sara Abdijadid

Caregiver strain on informal caregivers when providing care for older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a longitudinal prospective cohort study

Health-care systems nowadays rely on complementary patient care by informal caregivers. The need for, and burden on, informal caregivers will likely increase in the upcoming years. This study aimed to examine ...

Authors: T. L. Janssen, P. Lodder, J. de Vries, C. C. H. A. van Hoof – de Lepper, P. D. Gobardhan, G. H. Ho and L. van der Laan

Nurse-patient interaction and self-transcendence: assets for a meaningful life in nursing home residents?

Due to the shift to an older population worldwide and an increased need for 24-h care, finding new and alternative approaches to increase wellbeing among nursing home (NH) residents is highly warranted. To gui...

Authors: Gørill Haugan, Britt Moene Kuven, Wenche Mjanger Eide, Siv Eriksen Taasen, Eva Rinnan, Vivien Xi Wu, Jorunn Drageset and Beate André

A comprehensive meta-review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on nonpharmacological interventions for informal dementia caregivers

Many reviews with conflicting findings on dementia caregiver interventions have been published. A meta-review was conducted to synthesize the findings of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Authors: Sheung-Tak Cheng and Fan Zhang

Living arrangements and life satisfaction: mediation by social support and meaning in life

Living arrangements have impact on life satisfaction among older adults. However, the mechanism how it works has received less attention. This study aims to examine the mediating role of meaning in life and so...

Authors: Yan Lin, Huimin Xiao, Xiuyan Lan, Shuangshuang Wen and Shaoshao Bao

Community perceptions about dementia in southwestern Uganda

With the increasing number of people surviving into older age in Africa, dementia is becoming a public health concern. Understanding the social dynamics of dementia in resource-limited settings is critical for...

Authors: Judith Owokuhaisa, Godfrey Zari Rukundo, Edith Wakida, Celestino Obua and Stephanie S. Buss

The Residential Care Transition Module: a single-blinded randomized controlled evaluation of a telehealth support intervention for family caregivers of persons with dementia living in residential long-term care

Families do not fully disengage from care responsibilities following relatives’ admissions to residential long-term (RLTC) care settings such as nursing homes. Caregiver stress, depression, or other key outcom...

Authors: Joseph E. Gaugler, Tamara L. Statz, Robyn W. Birkeland, Katie W. Louwagie, Colleen M. Peterson, Rachel Zmora, Ann Emery, Hayley R. McCarron, Kenneth Hepburn, Carol J. Whitlatch, Mary S. Mittelman and David L. Roth

A cluster randomised trial of the program to enhance adjustment to residential living (PEARL): a novel psychological intervention to reduce depression in newly admitted aged care residents

Depression rates are high in residential aged care (RAC) facilities, with newly admitted residents at particular risk. New approaches to address depression in this population are urgently required, particularl...

Authors: Tanya E. Davison, Marita P. McCabe, Lucy Busija, Daniel W. O’Connor, Vera Camões Costa and Jessica Byers

Influence of pre-admission factors on quality of life and adaptation in nursing home residents with dementia: the QOL-EHPAD study protocol

In 2015 in France, 585,560 people were nursing home residents. A large body of studies has identified predictors of poor quality of life and poor adaptation in institution, mostly for residents without dementi...

Authors: Roxane Villeneuve, Céline Meillon, Valérie Bergua, Maturin Tabue-Teguo and Hélène Amieva

The paradox of aging and health-related quality of life in Asian Chinese: results from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan

Declines in health, physical, cognitive, and mental function with age suggest a lower level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in late life; however, previous studies found that the associations were we...

Authors: Han-Yun Tseng, Corinna Löckenhoff, Chun-Yi Lee, Shu-Han Yu, I-Chien Wu, Hsing-Yi Chang, Yen-Feng Chiu and Chao Agnes Hsiung

Effectiveness of a village-based intervention for depression in community-dwelling older adults: a randomised feasibility study

Although a focus on late-life depression may help preventing suicide in older adults, many older people, especially those living in rural areas, have relatively low accessibility to treatment. This study exami...

Authors: In Mok Oh, Maeng Je Cho, Bong-Jin Hahm, Byung-Soo Kim, Jee Hoon Sohn, Hye Won Suk, Bu Young Jung, Hye Jung Kim, Hyeon A. Kim, Ki Bok Choi, Da Hye You, Ah. Reum Lim, In Ok Park, Jeung Hyuck Ahn, Hee Lee, Yeon Hee Kim…

Memory complaints and depressive symptoms over time: a construct-level replication analysis

Memory complaints and depressive symptoms are frequently associated in older adults and both serve as potential indicators of future cognitive decline. However, the temporal ordering of the development of thes...

Authors: Jacqueline Mogle, Nikki L. Hill, Sakshi Bhargava, Tyler Reed Bell and Iris Bhang

Development and validation of a brief self-assessed wisdom scale

This longitudinal study aimed to develop a nine-item Brief Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (BSAWS) derived from the original 40-item Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS).

Authors: Sai-fu Fung, Esther Oi-wah Chow and Chau-kiu Cheung

Does the institutionalization influence elderly’s quality of life? A systematic review and meta–analysis

Institutionalization is a global phenomenon and its impact on elderly’s quality of life (QoL) is under discussion. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the influence of the institutionalization o...

Authors: Mariana Marinho Davino de Medeiros, Talita Malini Carletti, Marcela Baraúna Magno, Lucianne Cople Maia, Yuri Wanderley Cavalcanti and Renata Cunha Matheus Rodrigues-Garcia

The prevalence of severe depression in Iranian older adult: a meta-analysis and meta-regression

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the older adult and one of the most common risk factors for suicide in the older adult. Studies show different and inconsistent prevalence rates in...

Authors: Nader Salari, Masoud Mohammadi, Aliakbar Vaisi-Raygani, Alireza Abdi, Shamarina Shohaimi, Behnam Khaledipaveh, Alireza Daneshkhah and Rostam Jalali

Perceived availability of future care and depressive symptoms among older adults in China: evidence from CHARLS

Major concerns have arisen about the challenges facing China in providing sufficient care to its older population in light of rapid population ageing, changing family structure, and considerable rates of inter...

Authors: Merril Silverstein, Cathy Honge Gong and Hal Kendig

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