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Mental Health Status of Home Care Elders in Michigan

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Lydia Li, University of Michigan School of Social Work, 1080 S. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106. E-mail: lydiali{at}umich.edu

Purpose: This study describes the mental health status of community-living frail elders in Michigan and identifies subgroups of individuals who are vulnerable to mental health problems. Design and Methods: We analyzed the baseline assessment data collected from older adults who were admitted to two community-based long-term-care programs in Michigan (N = 18,939). Results: Results show that 40.5% of the individuals in the sample have recognized mental disorders, 39.6% use psychotropic medications, 24.5% have probable depression, and 1.4% have self-injury thoughts or attempts. Frail elders who are White, younger, and female—as well as those who experience more pain, disease burden, cognitive impairment, and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living—are more prone to psychological distress. Implications: Mental health care is greatly needed by community-living frail elders.

Key Words: Depression • Psychological distress • Community-based long-term care • Frail elders • MDS-HC