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Dear Clleagues,

With the aging of the population, a rapid increase in elderly individuals with disability (functional decline) is becoming a large burden on social security systems worldwide. Prevention of disability among the elderly is a great concern. The risk factors for disability have been studied in terms of not only physical status but also psychological factors. Psychological distress is prevalent among older adults, and psychological distress would be more practical concept to consider overall mental health on public health strategies. Although psychological distress is known to be a risk factor for death, but there is relatively little evidence about the association between psychological distress and risk of disability in older adults.

This Special Issue will feature articles regarding epidemiological studies (prospective study or systematic review of prospective studies) about the impact of psychological distress on healthy ageing. As the outcome about healthy ageing, this Special Issue is interested in functional disability, dementia, frailty, basic activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), physical function, or cognitive function.

Dr. Yasutake Tomata
Guest Editor

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Keywords

older adults
psychological distress
mental distress
functional disability
activities of daily living
dementia
frailty
physical function
cognitive function

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 941 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychological Distress and Social Functioning in Elderly Spanish People: A Gender Analysis

by M. Pilar Matud and M. Concepción García

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(3), 341; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph16030341 - 26 Jan 2019

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 4459

Abstract

Psychological distress has been considered a key component in the psychosocial functioning and functional disability of the elderly, but the determining factors of social functioning and psychological distress in the elderly people are not yet fully known. The aim of this study is to perform a gender analysis of the relevance of psychological distress and psychosocial factors in the social functioning of the elderly. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 589 men and 684 women from the general Spanish population aged between 65 and 94 years was conducted. All participants were evaluated through questionnaires and scales that assess psychological distress, social functioning, stress, coping styles, self-esteem and social support. Results: Women scored higher than men in psychological distress, chronic stress, emotional coping and instrumental social support, whereas men scored higher than women in self-esteem and rational coping. Psychological distress was significantly associated in women and men with worse social functioning, which was also lower in older people and in women with lower self-esteem. Psychological distress has a considerable impact on the social functioning of the elderly, and gender is a relevant factor in the psychological distress experienced and its predictors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychological Distress and Healthy Ageing)

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10 pages, 311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Psychological Distress on Incident Functional Disability in Elderly Japanese: The Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study

by Yasutake Tomata, Takashi Watanabe, Fumiya Tanji, Shu Zhang, Yumi Sugawara and Ichiro Tsuji

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(11), 2502; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph15112502 - 08 Nov 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2456

Abstract

Background: Although psychological distress is known to be a risk factor for death, there are relatively few data on the impact of psychological distress on incident functional disability in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of psychological distress on incident functional disability in older adults. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of 12,365 disability-free individuals aged ≥65 years who live in Ohsaki City, Japan. In 2006, the level of psychological distress was assessed using the K6 (range: 0–24 points). Data on 10-year functional disability were retrieved from the public Long-term Care Insurance database. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and population attributable fractions (PAFs) according to the K6 groups (<5, 5–9, 10–12, and ≥13 points) were estimated. Results: Among 94,636 person-years, incident functional disability occurred in 4533 persons (36.7%). Significantly higher risk was observed in higher K6 score groups. The multiple-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of incident functional disability were 1.14 (1.06–1.22) for 5–9 points, 1.28 (1.15–1.43) for 10–12 points, and 1.62 (1.44–1.84) for ≥13 points, in comparison with <5 points (p-trend < 0.001). The PAFs in each of the K6 score groups were 3.0% for 5–9 points, 1.7% for 10–12 points, and 2.6% for ≥13 points. Conclusions: Even when mild to moderate, psychological distress had a considerable impact on incident functional disability in this cohort. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychological Distress and Healthy Ageing)

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