Full moon: does it influence agitated nursing home residents?
This study examined the effect of the full moon on agitation manifested by nursing home residents (N = 24). Observations of agitation were recorded on a behavioral mapping instrument, and occurrence of the full moon was operationalized in the three ways most commonly cited in the literature. The hypothesis that elderly nursing home residents become increasingly agitated during a full moon was not supported by this study. In all analyses, agitation was observed less often when the full moon was full than during the other three lunar phases, although differences were not statistically significant.
Research Institute of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington.
J
J
Cohen-Mansfield
M S
MS
Marx
P
P
Werner
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010507:Periodicity; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000523:psychology*