International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 68-78 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 69 daily living and social support than elderly men. These findings provide insights for developing community care service strategies that better meet the specific needs of various elderly groups. Therefore, community-based home care plays an essential role in supporting the mental health and improving the life satisfaction of elderly individuals living alone (Lee and Lee, 2020). This study deeply explores the specific effects of community home care services on the mental health of elderly people living alone. While existing research indicates that community care can improve elderly mental health, further exploration is needed on the mechanisms of different types and models of care services on elderly mental health. Against this backdrop, this study systematically evaluates the effectiveness of community-based home care in improving mental health indicators such as depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction by analyzing specific models, intervention intensity, and service content. The study will focus on the effectiveness of community-based home care in improving the mental health of elderly individuals living alone and compare the differences between various care models (e.g., nurse-led self-care plans and health-social cooperative models) in enhancing mental health. The nurse-led self-care plan emphasizes elderly self-management through health education and psychological counseling, while the health-social cooperative model organizes social activities and support networks to integrate the elderly into community life, reducing loneliness and depressive symptoms. Additionally, the study will examine the applicability and effectiveness of community-based home care across elderly groups of different genders and health statuses to support the development of personalized service strategies. 2 Mental Health of Elderly Individuals Living Alone 2.1 Common mental health issues in elderly individuals living alone Elderly individuals living alone face a range of mental health issues, with depression, anxiety, and loneliness being the most common. These mental health issues affect the quality of life of the elderly and increase their physical and mental health risks. For example, research shows that elderly individuals living alone are significantly more likely to experience depression than those living with others, and this risk is exacerbated by a lack of social support and economic stress (Gu et al., 2020). Additionally, loneliness and isolation increase the mortality risk for elderly individuals; a 22-year longitudinal study found that both living alone and feelings of loneliness are independent predictors of mortality in the elderly (Tabue Teguo et al., 2016). Besides depression and loneliness, anxiety is also prevalent among elderly individuals living alone. Anxiety may arise from concerns about physical health, financial insecurity, and fear of the future. In the absence of social support, anxiety issues often intensify, highlighting a close link between living alone and mental health. Elderly individuals living alone, lacking a stable social network and sufficient resources, are more prone to feelings of loneliness and isolation. These mental health issues not only impact daily life but may lead to more severe health problems, such as suicidal tendencies and functional impairment. The study by Nam and Lee (2019) highlights that social support serves as a buffer against depression and suicidal ideation among elderly individuals living alone, with those experiencing economic hardship and poor health being particularly vulnerable to these effects (Figure 1) (Nam and Lee, 2019). Figure 1 Mediating model (Adopted from Nam and Lee, 2019) 2.2 Factors affecting mental health in the elderly Multiple factors affect the mental health of elderly individuals, typically including social support, economic status, physical health, and lifestyle. Social support is considered a crucial factor in alleviating depression and loneliness
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