Psychosocial functioning of chinese older people with chronic physical illness

Using the Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale, The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL) scale and the Self-concept Questionnaire, this article examined the relationship between depression and psychosocial functioning among 80 older people with chronic physical illness in Hong Kong. It aimed to test the hypothesis that people with chronic physical illness are prone to depression, which in turn leads to lower quality of life and negative self-esteem. The group with chronic physical illness scored higher on the Geriatric Depression Scale than the control group. The control group had higher scores than the illness group in the physical health and psychological health domains of the WHO-QoL scale and had better functioning in activities of daily living and leisure. Despite some contradictory findings, the results of this study support the proposed hypothetical framework relating chronic physical illness to depression and support findings of previous research. Data from this study highlight the negative impact of chronic physical illness on the physical and psychological status of older people. Implications for rehabilitation services are discussed.