Meaning‐in‐life in nursing‐home patients: a correlate with physical and emotional symptoms

Gørill Haugan

Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2014, vol. 23, issue 7-8, 1030-1043

Abstract: Aims and objectives To investigate the prevalence of physical and emotional symptoms and the associations between symptoms and meaning‐in‐life in a cognitively intact nursing‐home population. Background Meaning has been found to be a strong individual predictor of successful ageing and life satisfaction as well as an important psychological variable that promotes well‐being. Meaning serves as a mediating variable in both psychological and physical health. Design and methods The study employed a cross‐sectional design. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009 using the QLQ‐C15‐PAL quality‐of‐life questionnaire, the purpose‐in‐life test and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A total of 250 cognitively intact nursing‐home patients who met the inclusion criteria were approached and 202 attended. Results The prevalence of symptoms was fairly high, with fatigue (57%), pain (49%), constipation (43%) and dyspnoea (41%) as the most frequent physical symptoms, while 30% were depressed and 12% had anxiety. Significant correlations between meaning‐in‐life and symptom severity were displayed. Conclusions The level of symptom severity among cognitively intact nursing‐home patients is high, requiring highly competent staff nurses. Meaning‐in‐life might be an important resource in relation to a patient's physical and emotional health and global well‐being. Relevance to clinical practice Facilitating patients' meaning‐in‐life might help reducing symptom severity and fostering quality of life in cognitively intact nursing‐home patients. However, advancing staff nurses' competence in palliative care, symptom management and nurse–patient interaction is important for care quality and quality if life in nursing homes.

Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:23:y:2014:i:7-8:p:1030-1043

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