ABSTRACT
Background
Social participation in work‐related activities can improve the mental well‐being of individuals with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, research on the effects of work‐related activities on the mental well‐being of individuals with dementia or MCI is limited. This study aimed to investigate the influence of participation in work‐related activities on mental well‐being and the associated factors in individuals with dementia or MCI.
Methods
This was a multicentre cross‐sectional study. We administered questionnaires and measurements to participants who were users of a day care service and had dementia or MCI. We used the World Health Organization‐Five Well‐Being Index (WHO‐5) as the main outcome and its confounders. These data were compared between the work‐related activity and usual care groups, and multiple regression analysis was performed with WHO‐5 as the dependent variable and the presence or absence of participation in work‐related activities and WHO‐5 covariates as independent variables.
Results
A total of 128 participants were compared between the two groups. The work‐related activity group exhibited better mental well‐being ( p < 0.001) than the usual care group. The same results were obtained after adjusting for the participants' backgrounds using propensity score matching. Multiple regression analysis identified participation in work‐related activities ( p < 0.001) and physical pain ( p < 0.05) as factors that potentially influence mental well‐being.
Conclusions
Participation in work‐related activities positively influenced the mental well‐being of individuals with dementia or MCI. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the effects of work‐related activities on the mental well‐being of individuals with dementia or MCI.
