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Predictive potential of the relationship between values, depression, comorbidity and the perception of quality of life in the elderly rehabilitation clients
Tone Brejc
Full text (pdf) | Views: 23 | Written in Slovene. | Published: May 26, 2002
Abstract: The research objective was to study the predictive potential of the relationship between personal values, depression, comorbidity and the perception of quality of life in 80 older rehabilitation clients, aged 65 years and more with the average age 74,4 years, suffering from serious injury or stroke and referred to geriatric rehabilitation unit of Rehabilitation Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Controlled for age, gender, and disability were used correlational, multiple regression, and multivariate analysis of variables, assessed by Pogačnik's Personal Values Scale, Yesavage's Geriatric Depression Scale, and Charlson's comorbidity index (CMI) and WHO Quality of Life Scale-BREF. The results revealed the preference of values of security, affiliation and traditional ethics, reflecting hierarchical change only due to age, not to gender, disability or comorbidity. Depression was not influenced by the personal values, which, conversely, had no significant impact on the perceived quality of life, being assessed as good. The perceived quality of life was negatively associated with functional disability and psychological disatisfaction, and positively with social relationships and evironmental support. Depression was moderate, situationally caused and the only predictor of the perceived quality of life. The results provide support for the conclusion that efforts invested in establishment and maintenance of adequate life conditions of the older rehabilitation patients, enhancing and supporting their feelings of personal strenght, competence and independence may serve better in management of their depression and perceived quality of life than direct counselling interventions focused on changing their values and attitudes.
Keywords: values, depression, quality of life, late adulthood, gariatric rehabilitation
