The likelihood of falls in older persons with joint disease are increased by fear of falling

What is it about?

We assessed older individuals with and without a history of falls in the past 12 months who had osteoarthritis, a joint disease linked to old age. The psychological states of depression, anxiety and stress were then assessed for these individuals. In addition, these older individuals also had their level of fear of falling measured. We found that in those who have fallen in the past 12 months, depression and anxiety were linked to the severity of their joint problems. This was not the case in those who have not fallen in the past 12 months. Fear of falling appeared to explain the increased risk of falls in those with severe joint disease compared to those who had mild joint disease.

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Why is it important?

Joint problems in older persons are one of the major causes of disability world-wide. Those with severe joint disease are more likely to experience falls which then increases their level of dependency leading to poorer quality of life and increased economic and social burden. Previously, doctors have put falls in those with joint disease down to muscle weakness, and have only focussed on physiotherapy as a treatment. Our study therefore explains why physiotherapy alone may not work, and suggest that doctors should now consider evaluated psychological treatment such as counselling, psychological therapy and medications as a potential management strategy to prevent falls in older persons with severe joint disease.

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