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The impact of depression and anxiety on well being, disability and use of health care services in nursing home patients
Author(s) -
Smalbrugge Martin,
Pot Anne Margriet,
Jongenelis Lineke,
Gundy Chad M.,
Beekman Aartjan T. F.,
Eefsting Jan A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.1466
Subject(s) - anxiety , depression (economics) , medicine , marital status , psychological intervention , psychiatry , population , health care , mental health , gerontology , environmental health , economics , macroeconomics , economic growth
Objective To determine the impact of depression and anxiety on well being, disability and use of health care services among nursing patients. Methods The study‐population consisted of 350 elderly nursing home patients from 14 nursing homes in the Netherlands. Well being, disability, use of health care services (i.e. assistance in ADL, paramedical care, number of medications) and depression and anxiety and other relevant characteristics (gender, age, education, marital status, urbanization, cognition, morbidity, social support) were measured cross‐sectionally. Associations of well being, disability and use of health care services with independent baseline characteristics were assessed with bivariate and with multivariate analyses. Results Presence of depression and/or anxiety was associated with significantly less well being, but not with more disability. Presence of depression and/or anxiety was also significantly associated with four of the seven indicators of health care service use measured in this study: less assistance in ADL, more consultation of medical specialists, a higher mean number of medications and more use of antidepressants. Conclusion Presence of depression and/or anxiety has a statistically and clinically significant negative impact on well being, but not on disability. Future studies should focus on interventions for improving the detection, diagnosis and treatment of depression and/or anxiety in the nursing home. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.