Mental health status and influencing factors in the elderly with multiple chronic conditions

WANG Xiaotong; LIN Xueru; XU Ying; LI Yuzhen; LIU Guangxin; SUN Xia

doi:10.12104/j.issn.1674-4748.2026.03.001

Abstract：Objective:To investigate the mental health status and influencing factors of the elderly with multiple chronic conditions(MCCs),and provide a basis for mental health management in this population.Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to select elderly individuals from urban and rural areas of Dezhou,Liaocheng,and Tai'an cities in Shandong province from January to April 2024.General Information Questionnaires,Self-Report of Physical Illnesses,Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE),and a simplified version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10(CES-D-10)were used for the survey.The influencing factors of mental health status in MCCs elderly individuals with MCCs were analyzed using t-tests,ANOVA,and multiple linear regression.Results:A total of 450 questionnaires were distributed,and 358 elderly individuals with MCCs were screened.The mental health status score of the elderly individuals with MCCs was(10.26±5.23).Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the following factors had statistically significant differences in their impact on the mental health of elderly individuals with MCCs:self-reported good physical condition(β=2.501,t=3.387),self-reported poor physical condition(β=5.405,t=5.723),alcohol consumption(β=-1.508,t=-2.399),no difficulty falling asleep(β=-3.044,t=-3.896),nap duration of 0.5 h(β=-3.702,t=-3.687),and nap duration of 1.0 h(β=-2.362,t=-3.936)(all P<0.05).Conclusions:Elderly individuals with MCCs experience mental health problems,and their mental health is influenced by self-reported physical condition,alcohol consumption,difficult falling asleep,and nap duration.Future efforts can focus on guiding elderly individuals with MCCs to drink in moderation and take appropriate naps to maintain stable mental health.