The primary purpose of this study was to compare the profile of mood and life satisfaction scores of mentally alert and ambulatory nursing home residents (n=70) with the scores of independently living elders (n=68) of comparable age and health status. A descriptive design was used for this investigation. Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) was used to provide a measure of general satisfaction with life. The Profile of Mood states (POMS) was used to measure mood states of intermediate duration. Six subscales were included, such as Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, Anger-Hostility, Vigor-Activity, Fatigue-inertia, and Confusion-Bewilderment. All questionnaires were administered in a private face-to-face interview format by trained members of the research team. Bivariate and multivariate statistical tests, multiple regression models were used to go further statistical analysis. The results found that the nursing home residents felt significantly less satisfied with their life and less vigorous. Conversely, they had a more depressed affect, expressed a higher level of tension/anxiety, and rated themselves as more confused /bewildered than their counterparts in the community. The author suggested that differences between groups be related with either the more institutionalized lifestyle of a nursing home, or the conditions or circumstances that brought them to the nursing home.

    The findings of this study also give us some implications. First, nurses in nursing home should use formal instruments to provide help in identify old people at risk prior to development of more serious psychiatric disorders. Second, the effect of environment variables both in nursing home and community should be considered in future study. Third, the sensitivity of the LSIA and the POMS for eliciting differences in life satisfaction and mood in groups of elders who have different characteristics or life circumstances should be confirmed except for the fatigue-inertia subscale.