Understanding the relationship between psychological factors and important health outcomes in older adults with hip fracture: A structured scoping review

Background: Recovery after hip fractures is often poor despite successful surgeries and rehabilitation programs, which suggests factors beyond the physical might be at play. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of existing literature on the role of psychological factors in older adults' recovery after hip fracture.

Methods: A scoping review directed by the modified guidelines of Arksey and O'Malley was carried out to systematically search the peer-reviewed literature until Dec 2020. Included studies with original data examined the role of psychological factors in recovery after hip fracture. Recovery outcomes included any important health outcome and categorized into three supgroups (mortality, functional, and other outcomes). Studies comprising individuals not living in the community or <65 years of age were excluded.

Results: The initial search found 7883 articles. After duplicates were removed, 6798 were screened based on title and abstract, and the full text of 235 articles was assessed for eligibility. Fifty-five articles were eventually included. Overall, the influence of psychological factors on hip fracture recovery varies by the factors under study (e.g., depression, anxiety) and the outcome of interest (e.g., physical functioning, mortality). The main psychological factor studied was depression (examined in 49 articles). Depression seems to impede recovery after hip fracture, especially with moderate-to-severe symptoms or when co-occurring with other psychological or cognitive factors.

Conclusion: Many psychological factors exist among older adults with hip fractures that play a role in recovery. Health systems may implement early screening to recognize and prevent psychological factors from contributing to sub-optimal recovery and mortality.