Book contents
- Falls in Older People
- Falls in Older People
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls
- 1 Epidemiology of Falls and Fall-Related Injuries
- 2 Postural Stability and Falls
- 3 Gait Characteristics and Falls
- 4 Sensory and Neuromuscular Risk Factors for Falls
- 5 Biomechanics of Balance and Falling
- 6 Foot Problems, Footwear, and Falls
- 7 Brain Function and Falls
- 8 Impaired Cognition and Falls
- 9 The Psychology of Fall Risk: Fear, Anxiety, Depression, and Balance Confidence
- 10 Medical Risk Factors for Falls
- 11 Medications as Risk Factors for Falls
- 12 Environmental Risk Factors for Falls
- 13 Fall Detection and Risk Assessment with New Technologies
- 14 Fall Risk Screening and Assessment
- 15 The Relative Importance of Fall Risk Factors: Analysis and Summary
- Part II Strategies for Prevention
- Part III Implications for Practice
- Index
- References
9 - The Psychology of Fall Risk: Fear, Anxiety, Depression, and Balance Confidence
from Part I - Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 November 2021
- Falls in Older People
- Falls in Older People
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Falls
- 1 Epidemiology of Falls and Fall-Related Injuries
- 2 Postural Stability and Falls
- 3 Gait Characteristics and Falls
- 4 Sensory and Neuromuscular Risk Factors for Falls
- 5 Biomechanics of Balance and Falling
- 6 Foot Problems, Footwear, and Falls
- 7 Brain Function and Falls
- 8 Impaired Cognition and Falls
- 9 The Psychology of Fall Risk: Fear, Anxiety, Depression, and Balance Confidence
- 10 Medical Risk Factors for Falls
- 11 Medications as Risk Factors for Falls
- 12 Environmental Risk Factors for Falls
- 13 Fall Detection and Risk Assessment with New Technologies
- 14 Fall Risk Screening and Assessment
- 15 The Relative Importance of Fall Risk Factors: Analysis and Summary
- Part II Strategies for Prevention
- Part III Implications for Practice
- Index
- References
Summary
Originally discussed in early clinical reports (e.g. [1]), the relationship between psychological factors and falls is now well supported in the literature. Specifically, fear of falling, balance confidence or fall efficacy (i.e. belief in ability to maintain one’s balance),1 and depression are well-established predictors of falls and determinants of fall risk (e.g. [4,5]). Anxiety also appears to play a role in the determination of balance performance and gait parameters [6]. These psychological variables, which can also be the consequence of or be changed by a fall, can lead to activity avoidance in an effort to prevent future injuries [7]. In this chapter, psychological risk and consequences of falls and interventions designed to address them are discussed.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Falls in Older PeopleRisk Factors, Strategies for Prevention and Implications for Practice, pp. 160 - 171Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
References
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