Journal of Korean Geriatric Psychiatry

노인정신의학

pISSN 1226-6329 / eISSN 2733-4600


노인정신의학

대한노인정신의학회 (17권2호 74-78)

A Study of Anxiety and Quality of Life among the Elderly in a Small and Medium-Sized City

일 중소도시 노인의 불안 및 삶의 질에 대한 연구

장승호(Seung-Ho Jang);나안숙(An-Suk Na);이상열(Sang-Yeol Lee)

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.

Keywords

노인,불안,삶의 질 Elderly,Anxiety,Quality of life