Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1990

Publication Title

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology

Volume

3

Issue

4

First Page

184

Keywords

Psychological Adaptation, Aged, 80 and over, Dementia/psychology, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Status, Meta-Analysis, Postoperative Complications/psychology, Review, Sick Role, Surgical Procedures, Operative/psychology

Last Page

191

Abstract

The data bases of 18 empirical studies were combined into one comprehensive data set and subjected to meta-analysis. The following trends were observed: (1) surgery has a significantly decompensating impact on the mental status of older persons, and the average effect size observed is modest (r = .37); (2) for all mental status measures included in the review (cognition, delirium and affect), effect size appears to be significantly moderated by patient age; (3) patient sex may be predictive of the kind of mental impairment that is most likely to occur within an older surgery population, with women manifesting a greater affinity for delirious and men for cognitive decompensation; (4) most existing research within this domain of study is either purely descriptive or anecdotal: of 46 studies reviewed, only 18, or 39.1% of the total published output, were of sufficient methodologic rigor to allow for scientifically valid effect-size computations. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/089198879000300402

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