Mental Health Factors Related to Quality of Life in Older Adults Using Long-Term Care Services in Mexico.

Background

Older adults are a vulnerable population wherein their advancing age leads to limitations in physical and mental functionality that can compromise quality of life.

Objective

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between mental health factors and quality of life in older adult users of long-term care services in Mexico.

Methods

The present cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 131 older adult users of long-term care services (three residential care homes and a day center) in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. A questionnaire including the World Health Organization Quality of Life Older Adults Scale (WHO-QoL-Old), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire (CRQ), and sociodemographic variables was administered. The analysis of the relationship between variables was performed using bivariate analysis (comparisons between groups and Pearson correlations). Due to the type of sampling, the representativeness of the sample obtained was not evaluated.

Results

Depression and anxiety were found to inversely influence overall quality of life and its dimensions, while cognitive reserve is a factor that favors quality of life. Also, as related to cognitive reserve, level of education was found to be a factor that favors quality of life.

Conclusions

Older adult users of long-term care services are a vulnerable group, given the negative impact on their quality of life that some mental health conditions could have, such as depression, anxiety, and low cognitive reserve.