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Institutionalization and Well‐Being Among the Elderly *
Author(s) -
Donnenwerth Gregory V.,
Petersen Larry R.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1992.tb00293.x
Subject(s) - institutionalisation , residence , social psychology , psychology , sociology , psychiatry , demography
Iatrogenic, prosthetic, and other perspectives are used to derive hypotheses concerning the roles of perceived health and residence satisfaction in mediating the effects of nursing home institutionalization on subjective well‐being. The findings show that perceived health and residence satisfaction are important intervening variables. Institutionalization has a positive effect on well‐being, mediated by perceived health, but institutionalization has a stronger negative effect on well‐being, mediated by residence satisfaction. Thus, institutionalization's total effect on well‐being is negative. Theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.