The impact of chronic comorbidity in elderly people on relatives’ physical and mental health during the nursing home confinement:A multiple mediator analysis / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

【Objective】 To explore the relationship between chronic comorbidity and the physical and mental health of relatives of elderly people during the nursing home confinement, and to analyze the mediating effects of perceived stress and intolerance of uncertainty in this context. 【Methods】 A total of 568 family members of elderly people in nine elderly institutions in Shaanxi Province were selected. The survey included the short version of the Perceived Stress Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and The World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index. The data were analyzed with Stata for correlation and mediation effects. 【Results】 ① The comorbidities of chronic diseases was positively correlated with the perceived stress (r=0.16, P<0.001) and intolerance of uncertainty (r=0.11, P=0.006) of the family members, but negatively correlated with the physical and mental health of the family members (r=-0.13, P=0.002). ② The mediating effect of perceived stress between chronic disease co-morbidity and physical and mental health of family members in older adults was -0.023, accounting for 18.8% of the total effect; the mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty between chronic disease co-morbidity and physical and mental health of family members in older adults was -0.041, accounting for 33.5% of the total effect. 【Conclusion】 During closed management in a nursing facility, the physical and mental health of family members of older adults with chronic co-morbidities is poorer than that of family members of non-chronic co-morbidities. And it can lead to a decline in physical and mental health of family members through increased perceived stress and intolerance of uncertainty.