Quality of life, level of functioning, and its relationship with mental and physical disorders in the elderly: results from the MentDis_ICF65+ study

• Main Authors: Luigi Grassi, Rosangela Caruso, Chiara Da Ronch, Martin Härter, Holger Schulz, Jana Volkert, Maria Dehoust, Susanne Sehner, Anna Suling, Karl Wegscheider, Berta Ausín, Alessandra Canuto, Manuel Muñoz, Mike J. Crawford, Yael Hershkovitz, Alan Quirk, Ora Rotenstein, Ana Belén Santos-Olmo, Arieh Shalev, Jens Strehle, Kerstin Weber, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Sylke Andreas, Martino Belvederi Murri, Luigi Zerbinati, Maria Giulia Nanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020-03-01
• Series: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
• Subjects: Quality of life; Functioning; Psychiatric morbidity; Physicial morbidity; Elderly
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12955-020-01310-6

Abstract Background An ageing population worldwide needs to investigate quality of life (QoL) and level of functioning (LoF) in the elderly and its associated variables. We aimed to study the relationship between Quality of Life (QoL) and Level of Functioning (LoF) in an elderly population in Europe. Method As part of the Ment_Dis65+ European Project, 3142 community-dwelling adults aged 65–84 years in six countries were assessed by using the adaptation for the elderly of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI65+) to provide psychiatric diagnosis according to the International Classification of Diseases (10th edition) (ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders). Socio-demographic and clinical interviews, and two self-report tools, the World Health Organization QoL assessment (WHO QoL BREF), to assess QoL, and the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule -II (WHODAS-II), to assess LoF, were also administered. Results Most subjects reported good levels of QoL (56.6%) and self-rated health (62%), with no or mild disability (58.8%). There was a linear decrease of the QoL and the LoF by increase of age. Elderly with ICD-10 mental disorder (e.g. somatoform, affective and anxiety disorders) had poorer QoL and lower LoF. There were a number of predictors of lower levels of QoL and disability, including both socio-demographic variables (e.g. male gender, increase in age, poor financial situation, retirement, reduced number of close significant others), ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis (mainly anxiety, somatoform disorders) and presence of medical disorders (mainly heart and respiratory diseases). Conclusions The study indicates that QoL and LoF were quite acceptable in European elderly people. A series of variables, including psychiatric and somatic disorders, as well as socio-demographic factor influenced in a negative way both QoL and LoF. More specific links between mental health, social and health services dedicated to this segment of the population, should be implemented in order to provide better care for elderly people with conditions impacting their QoL and functioning.