Loneliness may mediate the relationship between depression and the quality of life among elderly with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

Background: Depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are often comorbid mental health issues in older adults. The current study explored the prospective mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between depression and the quality of life in elderly with MCI. A second aim was to examine differences in depression, loneliness, and the quality of life in the elderly with MCI among gender groups, and type of residence groups. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with purposive sampling was used. Older adults with MCI (N = 170) from old age homes in Lahore and Rawalpindi (n = 82) and family residences in Sargodha (n = 88) in Pakistan completed UCLA Loneliness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Mild Cognitive Impairment Scale.Results: Most of the participants had severe to extreme depression (98.2%), and moderate to moderately high levels of loneliness (85.3%). Depression was significantly associated with loneliness (b = 0.29, P < 0.05) and poor quality of life in MCI (b = 0.49, P < 0.001). The indirect effect of depression on the quality of life in MCI through loneliness was significant (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.002, 0.156]). However, the indirect effect of quality of life in MCI on depression through loneliness was not significant (95% CI [À0.001, 0.043]). The elderly with MCI living in old age homes had higher depression, loneliness, and poor quality of life. Elderly women had higher levels of depression and poor quality of life, whereas older men were lonelier. Conclusion:The relationship between depression and quality of life in the elderly with MCI may be bidirectional, and loneliness partially mediates only one of these relationships.

The mediating role of religion and loneliness on the association between reminiscence functions and depression: a call to advance older adults' mental health

“…Mediation analysis was performed using the “lavaan” package from Rosseel 37 . Spearman correlation has been used to account for the non‐normality of all four mediators (loneliness and the three religious activity scores).…”

“…Mediation analysis was performed using the "lavaan" package from Rosseel. 37 Spearman correlation has been used to account for the non-normality of all four mediators (loneliness and the three religious activity scores). Using the control variables dictated by the multivariate model selection procedure, we conducted a parallel mediation analysis to examine the mediating effect of a collection of uncorrelated mediators all at once.…”

The mediating role of loneliness in the effect of physical activity barriers on quality of life

“…It is estimated that more than 40% of elder people worldwide are lonely, especially as age increases 21,22 . In some studies, 7,23 it is stated that quality of life decreases with an increase in the feeling of loneliness, 20 and this is associated with a decrease in the level of physical activity 24 . The studies conducted on the elderly have found that physical activity significantly reduces loneliness 18 .…”

Influence of Attachment Anxiety on the Relationship between Loneliness and Depression among Long-Term Care Residents

“…Many factors have been found to be associated with depression among residents in LTC settings [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], including psychological distress or fear related to COVID-19 during this pandemic [ 14 ]. Loneliness is one of the common factors experienced among older people, and associated with depression [ 13 ] and a lower quality of life of residents in LTC settings [ 15 , 16 ]. Loneliness is the subjective feeling of lacking intimate and close relationships to others [ 17 ].…”

“…Different measurements were developed according to different understandings about loneliness; The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) considers loneliness from three perspectives (types of loneliness, the perspective of time, and emotional aspects) [ 17 ]; the UCLA loneliness scale contains two dimensions, i.e., negatively and positively worded items [ 18 ]. Studies have shown that 11.6 to 85.3% of people living in LTC settings have experienced loneliness [ 15 , 19 ]. Factors associated with loneliness include living alone, being unsatisfied with life, being at risk for undernutrition, having mental problems, having a weak sense of coherence, and not having contact with neighbors [ 19 ].…”