Psychological Well-being of Old Adult Patients Admitted with Non-communicable Diseases in a University Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The Psychological well-being of old adult patients is interrelated with various factors such as morbidity and mortality. Addressing these dimensions of wellbeing can lead to improved treatment outcomes, greater adherence to medical recommendations, and a more fulfilling life for old adult patients facing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study was to find out the psychological well-being of an old adult patient admitted with the diagnosis of NCD in a university hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: A structured interview schedule was conducted to collect data using 42 items on Ryff’s psychological well-being scale. Four hundred and four old-adult patients were selected by consecutive sampling technique. The data were entered in epiData and analysis was done by using SPSS. For descriptive analysis frequency, percentage, mean, median, range, and standard deviation and for inferential analysis chi Square test was calculated. Results: The study found an almost equal proportion of female (50.5%) and male (49.5%) respondents. Three hundred and thirty-five (82.9%) old adults were married and 380 (94.1%) were currently living with family. Similarly, 314 (77.9%) belong to Hinduism. This study finding also revealed that 211 (52.2%) were illiterate, 222 (54.9%) were physically inactive, and 301 (74.5%) were financially dependent upon their spouse, children, and grandchildren. The study showed that 390 (96.5%) old adult patients were psychologically well. The chi square result also revealed sex and living location was significantly associated with psychological wellbeing. Conclusions: It concludes that almost all old adult patients have high psychological well-being irrespective of their NCD, financial dependency, and daily physical inactiveness. Nepalese people have power of resilience to adjust in a difficult situation. This ability guides them to adapt, recover and find humor in their difficult times. This finding left question to conduct further research.