Home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers and psychological distress: a population-based study of 11,312 community-dwelling older people in Japan

Authors:
NOGUCHI Masayuki, et al
Journal article citation:
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(12), 2015, pp.1156-1163.
Publisher:
Wiley

Objective: Social support is a resource for the older people that effectively reduces psychological distress, with or without specialised health service provision. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine whether home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers (organisations of community residents assigned by national or local governments) are associated with a lower risk of psychological distress among the older people. Methods: Questionnaires were sent in August 2010 to all residents aged ≥65 years in three municipalities (n = 21,232) in Okayama Prefecture in Japan; 13,929 were returned (response rate = 65.6%). The final sample size for the analysis was 11,312 participants. Home visits, psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale: K6 > 5), and severe psychological distress (K6 > 13) were measured by the questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for psychological distress, adjusting for age, gender, education, marital status, and qualification for long-term care insurance. Results: The prevalence was 41.4% for psychological distress and 6.5% for severe psychological distress among all participants. Home visits were significantly associated with a lower risk of psychological distress after adjusting for the covariates. These associations were comparable for men and women. The association was clearer for severe psychological distress. Conclusions: Home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers are significantly associated with a lower risk of psychological distress among older people (Edited publisher abstract)

Subject terms:
older people, volunteers, befriending schemes, wellbeing;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
Japan
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1099-1166
ISSN print:
0885-6230

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