Department of Health Care Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Aging Ment Health. 2010 Sep;14(7):851-60. doi: 10.1080/13607861003800997.
This study explored the effect of internal adaptation and external resources to psychological well-being for the disabled elderly.
Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with physically disabled elderly people, including the institutional and community-based long-term care service users in middle Taiwan. The number of persons interviewed was 563, of whom 505 completed the survey and met the disability criteria. Path analysis was applied. Internal resources (coping strategies and self-management of health) and external resources (social support and environmental support) were hypothesized to be related to difficulty in adapting to disability, and had a further impact on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction.
Acceptance-action coping strategies were beneficial in the adaptation process and in psychological well-being, and self-management of health was positively related to successful adaptation. Social support and environmental support were beneficial to adaptation and psychological well-being, although the effects were modest. In general, the effect of internal resources was larger than the external resources to adaptation and psychological well-being.
Positive coping and self-management as well as the use of external resources are positive indicators of successful adaptation to disability. The disabled elderly should be encouraged to take a positive attitude toward disability, and external resources should also be built up to support them.
本研究旨在探讨身心障碍老年人内部适应和外部资源对心理健康的影响。
通过面对面访谈收集了身体残疾老年人的数据，包括台湾中部机构和社区长期护理服务使用者。共访谈了 563 人，其中 505 人符合残疾标准并完成了调查。采用路径分析。假设内部资源（应对策略和健康自我管理）和外部资源（社会支持和环境支持）与适应残疾的困难有关，并对抑郁症状和生活满意度有进一步影响。
接受-行动应对策略有利于适应过程和心理健康，健康自我管理与成功适应呈正相关。社会支持和环境支持有利于适应和心理健康，尽管影响较小。总体而言，内部资源对适应和心理健康的影响大于外部资源。
积极的应对和自我管理以及外部资源的利用是成功适应残疾的积极指标。应鼓励身心障碍老年人积极面对残疾，并建立外部资源以支持他们。
