A Study of Anxiety and Quality of Life among the Elderly in a Small and Medium-Sized City.
- Author:
Seung Ho JANG
1
;
An Suk NA
;
Sang Yeol LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea. psysangyeol@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Elderly;
Anxiety;
Quality of life
- MeSH:
Aged*;
Anxiety*;
Education;
Environmental Health;
Humans;
Linear Models;
Prevalence;
Quality of Life*;
World Health Organization
- From:Journal of Korean Geriatric Psychiatry
2013;17(2):74-78
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and to identify demographic variables and clinical characteristics impacting on anxiety and quality of life in the elderly. METHODS: We analyzed data of 300 patients. Generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument Brief Form (WHOQOL-BREF), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Scale of Social Support (SSS), Brief Encounter Psychosocial instrument (BEPSI-K) were used to evaluate. Patients were divided into anxiety and non-anxiety group according to the GAD-7 score. We compared stress and quality of life between two groups and analyzed multiple linear regression with anxiety and quality of life as criterion variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety in elderly was 27% (n=81). Compared to the non-anxiety, anxiety people appeared significantly lower mean scores all of subscales in WHOQOL-BREF : General Health (t=-6.782, p<0.001), Physical Health (t=-6.935, p<0.001), Psychological Health (t=-8.816, p<0.001), Social Relationship (t=-5.409, p<0.001) and Environmental Health (t=-5.667, p<0.001). Stress, social support, education, sleep were significant explanation variables for anxiety and anxiety, stress, self-esteem were significant explanation variables for quality of life. CONCLUSION: These results show that the most important variable influencing on anxiety was stress and influencing on quality of life was anxiety.
