Dolor, calidad de vida y estado anímico relacionados con la salud de pacientes ancianos hospitalizados

Abstract

Objective . This descriptive, transverse study, attempts to establish the existent relation between the degree of perceived pain, anxiety, depression and quality of life of elderly hospitalized patients. Method . A stratified- random sample was used for this study. Using the Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS), the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and the Simple Verbal Scale (SVS), the patients’ reported anxiety and depression levels, as well as the intensity of their pain were measured. Results . It was observed that in general, as the patient’s pain increased, their depression and anxiety levels, and the quality of life areas evaluated using the NHP, worsened. Analyses are descriptive and inferential. Conclusion . In view of the deterioration of the quality of life and its relationship to the emotional responses associated with anxiety and depression, and the intensity of pain, interventions should be carried out at primary and secondary level to permit pain control, in order to reduce the impact on the mental health of older adults, based on pharmacological and psychological integrated strategies. Likewise, it is suggested that inpatient programs incorporating holistic therapies which, in turn, meet the emotional affective elderly needs of hospitalized patients, are created, with the aim of improving their quality of life.