Effects of hospitalization on affective status of elderly patients.

The effects of hospitalization on affective status were assessed by an original protocol in 214 consecutive elderly patients (mean age = 78.3 +/-5.0 years, range = 70-92 years). Psychological decompensation was significantly related to length of stay (p less than 0.01) and drug use (p less than 0.05) and unaffected by sex, marital status, prior living place, diagnostic category. Affective status and functional status were directly correlated (p less than 0.0001), although in 51% of medical patients the affective status worsened or remained unchanged despite improved physical function. Improvement in affective status occurred more frequently in surgical patients (p less than 0.001) due to psychological improvement following surgery. Physicians providing medical and surgical care for geriatric patients must remain aware of the patients' emotional response to hospitalization and illness, given the accompanying risk for psychological decompensation.