Relationships between Difficulty with Healthcare Services and Psychosocial Adjustment in Hispanic Older Adults

TL;DR

This study explores how difficulty accessing healthcare affects quality of life and mental health in older Hispanic adults with multiple chronic conditions.

Contribution

The study identifies a significant link between healthcare access challenges and worsened quality of life in this population.

Findings

Poorer health status and healthcare access issues were significantly linked to worse quality of life.

Depressive symptoms did not significantly correlate with healthcare access difficulties.

Hispanic/Latino older adults with multiple chronic conditions face notable barriers to healthcare access.

Abstract

Living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) is now the norm for older adults in the U.S. (77%), and requires adjustments across multiple life domains, including maintaining quality of life (QOL) and protecting mental health. Among older adults with MCC, depressive symptoms and poor QOL increase risk for morbidity and mortality. Hispanic/Latino older adults are more likely to sustain early onset of MCC, report poor self-rated health, and experience significant difficulties accessing health care. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between difficulties accessing healthcare services and psychological adjustment, specifically depressive symptoms and QOL, among Hispanic/Latino older adults. Data were collected from 118 participants (ages 62-92; Mean=73.6, SD = 6.33) at senior centers in New York City between July 2024 and February 2025. The sample was diverse, with 42.9% identifying as Puerto Rican, 21.4% as Dominican, and 20.4% as South American. Common chronic conditions reported included hyperlipidemia (70.7%), arthritis (65.2%), hypertension (64.1%), diabetes (51.1%), and asthma (30.4%). The results of the regression analysis indicated that poorer health status and difficulties with healthcare services were significantly associated with worsened QOL controlling for demographic factors (R2adj=0.35, F(9, 83) = 5.25, p<.001). In contrast, high depressive scores did not significantly correlate with difficulties accessing healthcare services (R2adj=0.11, F(9, 83) = 0.99, p = 0.45). These findings underscore the critical role of healthcare access in promoting the mental health and well-being of Hispanic/Latino older adults with MCC, highlighting the need for further research into the mechanisms linking MCC to poor psychosocial adjustment.