Geriatrics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Geriatrics, including details on old age, psychiatry, depression, medicine.

Repressive coping in geriatric patients' reports - Impact on fear of falling.

Hauer K, Tremmel AD, Ramroth H, Pfisterer M, Todd C, Oster P, Schuler M

Bethanien-Krankenhaus, Geriatrisches Zentrum am Klinikum der Universität Heidelberg, Rohrbacherstr. 149, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany, khauer@bethanien-heidelberg.de.

We investigated the influence of repressive coping, depression, cognition, education and age on geriatric patients' reports on health-related status in 80 geriatric patients with a history of injurious falls. For patient reports, subjective statements on activity avoidance, perception of terminal decline, falls, and fear of falling were assessed. Co-morbidity and number of medications were documented based on patient charts.Repressive coping was significantly associated with underreporting in geriatric patients in all items documented and predicted most variables of patients' reports. Because of underreporting significant health problems geriatric patients with repressive coping may therefore be at risk for inadequate medical treatment.

Published 18 June 2008 in Z Gerontol Geriatr.
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