[Analysis on the mental disorders in the elderly after falling and its influencing factors]

To explore the prevalence and its influencing factors on mental disorders in older people after falling in a community from Guangzhou city.

184 people over 60 years of age had ever fallen within the past year in a community, were investigated by structured interview survey on their mental disorders in Guangzhou, with the impact of event scale (IES) and fear fall scale (FFS). Another 56 people over the age of 60 had never fallen at the same time were selected as controls. Data was analyzed by classification tree and logistic regression analysis.

IES score showed that there were 8.2% older people suffering from PTSD after falling (average score 16.07 ± 9.52). People who were at older age, with either bad eyesight or hearing, having had injury or decreased activity had higher scores. Results from classification tree analysis showed that decreased activity and helped by others after falling were risk factors of PTSD while not having decreased activity was protective factor. FFS score showed that 58.2% of the older people suffering from FFS after falling (average score 22.29 ± 10.25), people who were at older age, having had bad eyesight or hearing, not living with spouse or children etc. had higher scores while Classification Tree Analysis showed that factors as decreased activity or older than 80 years of age were at risk of FFS. People who did not have decreased activity or their IES score was nine or lower were protective factors. Data from the logistic regression analysis showed that raised by others after falling (OR = 6.20, 95%CI: 1.32 - 29.12) were risk factors of PTSD while older age (OR = 4.62, 95%CI: 1.80 - 11.83; OR = 4.06, 95%CI: 1.39 - 11.87), injury (OR = 6.26, 95%CI: 2.60 - 15.09), higher IES score (OR = 8.75, 95%CI: 3.53 - 21.70;OR = 11.98, 95%CI: 3.88 - 37.02) and decreased activity (OR = 5.26, 95%CI: 2.29 - 12.06) were risk factors of FFS.

There had been a high incidence of mental disorders after falling among the elderly. Older age and decreased activity were the risk factors in this study.