Protecting the mental health of Ontario seniors

Abstract

Background: Chronic disease management has been the emphasis of research with elderly populations. Building upon this work, there is a need to examine protective practices and supports for the mental health of older adults. There are no Canadian empirical studies that examine those factors in relation to positive mental health. Aim: This study identified associations between protective factors and self-rated mental health for senior, community-dwelling Ontarians. Methods: A secondary analysis was undertaken to examine a subset of variables from the population-based Canadian Community Health Survey (2012) data. Statistical analysis correlated a range of extracted individual, social, and environmental variables for two major age groups of Ontarian seniors (N = 6,121), those aged 65 to 79, and those 80 years and older. Results: Positive mental health was significantly associated with marital status, co-habilitation, income, perceived health, life stress, and health behaviours. This grouping of personal and social characteristics lost significance for positive mental health among seniors aged 80 years and older. Regardless of the seniors’ age, flourishing mental health was predicated upon physical activity, positive self-rated physical health, and finally, limited life stress. Conclusion: Based on provincial data, trends in self-rated positive mental health suggest that key factors ought to be integrated into the delivery of coordinated and interdisciplinary services to protect the mental health of seniors.

Keywords

• ontario seniors
• mental health
• secondary analysis