The effect of frailty levels of older individuals on their mental well-being and depression levels

Abstract

Background: Frailty has become an important public health issue. This study was conducted to determine the effect of frailty levels of older individuals on their mental well-being and depression levels.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 325 older individuals aged 60 years and over. A demographic questionnaire form, the FRAIL Frailty Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form were used to collect data. Data were evaluated using the SPSS 25.0 package program. Number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were used.

Results: The mean age of the older individuals was 69.56 ± 7.75 years, and the variables of age, education level, income status, the person they were living with, regular medication use, forgetting to take medication, urinary incontinence, hospitalisation, and accidents were found to affect both frailty and depression (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between frailty and depression (r: 0.460, P < 0.001) and a negative correlation between mental frailty and well-being (r: -0.391, P < 0.001). Socio-demographic variables, depression, and mental well-being had a 40% effect on frailty (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Depression status and mental well-being level are related to frailty, so negativity in one of them negatively affects the other. In line with these results, it is recommended to determine the level of depression and mental well-being of older individuals with high risk of frailty, and according to the results of the research, to provide care and support regarding the predictors affecting frailty.