Physical condition and activity of daily living among aging inpatients with mental disorders in Guangzhou, China: a cross‐sectional study

Abstract Background The number of elderly with mental disorders is increasing, but few studies have been concerned with the physical condition and activities of daily living (ADL) of these patients. This study aims to describe the physical condition and ADL of patients with mental illnesses (PMI) from different age groups, which provides evidence to improve mental health services for PMI. Methods In this prospective cross‐sectional study, the samples were divided into three groups of less than 60 years old (group 1), 60–74 years old (group 2), and over 75 years old (group 3) for comparison. Participants' ADL and physical condition were measure by Barthel Index (BI), Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), Standardised swallowing assessment (SSA) and Short Form of Mini Nutrition Assessment (MNA‐SF). The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to measure psychological condition. Results Totally, 392 participants had been recruited, meanwhile 86% of them were diagnosed with at least one physical disease. There were statistically significant differences in the three groups of participants in BI ( F = 50.603, P < 0.001), FAQ ( F = 40.332, P < 0.001), SSA ( F = 28.574, P < 0.001), and MNA‐SF ( F = 18.366, P < 0.001). Group 2 and group 3 had significantly lower scores in BI and FAQ than group 1, and the SSA scores were significantly higher than the participants in group 1. In the negative symptoms subscale of BPRS, the mean score of group 3 was significantly higher than groups 1 and 2. Negative symptom subscale has different degrees of correlation with BI ( r = −0.537), FAQ ( r = 0.643), SSA ( r = 0.480), MNA ( r = −0.325) and MMSE ( r = 0.607). In addition, the participants with comorbidities were related to BI ( r = ‐0.364). Conclusion Somatic comorbidities play a pivotal role in the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with mental illness, thus greater effort should be paid to elderly patients suffering from mental illness with dysphagia, malnutrition, and cognitive decline. Further, the negative symptoms of elderly patients with mental disorders also deserve attention.