The relationship between positive psychological capital, self-care ability, and quality of life in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A cross-sectional study.

Background

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) severely impairs elders' quality of life. Positive psychological capital (PsyCap) and self-care ability are key protective factors, but most existing studies merely conduct linear analyses using total scale scores, ignoring multi-dimensional interactions. This study explored their internal associations to guide targeted clinical interventions.

Method

This cross-sectional observational study was carried out from November 2025 to January 2026 at a Chinese tertiary hospital. We recruited elderly outpatients with MCI through convenience sampling, and collected data via on-site face-to-face questionnaires. Three standardized scales were applied: the Positive Psychological Capital Scale (PPC), Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly (SASE), and Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD). No family members were enrolled. Network analysis was used to detect central and bridge nodes and their links with quality of life.

Results

A total of 210 valid questionnaires were collected, with a mean score of 109.33 ± 16.57 on the PsyCap scale and a mean score of 59.88 ± 5.20 on the SASE scale. "Hope" acted as the top core node. "Hope" and "environment" serve as cross-scale bridge nodes. "Hope" correlated most strongly with life satisfaction, and stability tests proved the network's good reliability.

Conclusion

This study revealed multi-level psychological mechanisms in MCI patients and identified hope and environment as key bridge nodes boosting PsyCap and self-care simultaneously. Customised interventions can improve MCI patients' well-being. At the same time, this study provides clinical staff with a framework for dual-track interventions aimed at fostering hope and optimising the home environment.