Depression: a modifiable factor in fearful older fallers transitioning to frailty?

Authors:
MHAOLÁIN Aine M. Ni, et al
Journal article citation:
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27(7), July 2012, pp.727-733.
Publisher:
Wiley

It is suggested that fear of falling, one of the most common fears among community-dwelling older people, is as serious a health problem as the falls themselves. It often leads to activity avoidance. The authors believe that understanding fear of falling may help to identify strategies to reduce concern in the vulnerable old. This cross sectional study evaluated the psychological factors associated with fear of falling in a group of fallers transitioning to frailty compared with robust or non-frail fallers. A total of 301 fallers (mean age 75 years) underwent assessment. Fear of falling was measured using the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale, and frailty using the Biological Syndrome Model. Psychological assessment included anxiety, depression, loneliness, personality factors and cognition. Frailer fallers had increased fear of falling compared to robust fallers. Age, female gender and lower cognitive scores were associated with greater fear of falling in the robust group. For frailer fallers, higher depression score was the only factor associated with fear of falling. The odds ratio of having case level depressive disorder if a frail faller was significantly higher than if robust. The authors conclude that fallers at a transitional level of frailty may be particularly vulnerable group psychologically and would benefit most from interventional strategies focussing on depressive symptoms.

Subject terms:
older people, anxiety, depression, falls;
Location(s):
Ireland
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1099-1166
ISSN print:
0885-6230

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