DEPRESSION AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN AGING POLIO SURVIVORS VERSUS AGE-MATCHED CONTROLS - RELATION TO POSTPOLIO SYNDROME, FAMILY FUNCTIONING,AND ATTITUDE TOWARD DISABILITY

Objective: To compare depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in agi ng polio survivors with age-matched controls and to relate these outco mes to scores to psychosocial and disability-related variables. Design : A planned medical, functional, and psychosocial study with multivari ate analyses. Setting: A large, urban rehabilitation center. Participa nts: A volunteer sample of 121 polio survivors and an age-matched cont rol group of 60 people with similar sociodemographic backgrounds. Main Outcomes: Depression as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale an d an 11-item Life satisfaction scale. Results: The prevalence of depre ssive disorders was not significantly different in the two groups, alt hough the postpolio group tended to have more symptomatology and an ov erall depressive disorder prevalence of 28%, Some lift: satisfaction s cale scores were significantly lower in the postpolio group, especiall y those concerned with health, People with postpolio syndrome scored s ignificantly higher on depression scales and lower on some life satisf action scales than people with a history of polio but without postpoli o syndrome. Several psychosocial variables, most notably family functi oning and attitude toward disability, helped to mediate this effect. A mong people with significant depression, there was Little evidence of adequate treatment in the community. Conclusions: Postpolio by itself does not relate to higher depression scores or lower life satisfaction . Postpolio syndrome has some relation to depression, but family funct ioning and attitude toward disability are more important. There is a n eed for better community-based psychological services. (C) 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine Lend Rehabilitation.