Approaches to engage an aging, rural cohort in southern India during the COVID‐19 crisis and the psychological impact of COVID‐19 in this cohort

Abstract

Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic produced an unprecedented crisis across the world. Long‐term cohort studies were stalled, including our longitudinal aging cohort study in rural India. Methods We describe approaches undertaken to engage with our cohort ( n = 1830) through multiple rounds of calls and how we provided useful services to our subjects during the lockdown period. Consenting subjects also underwent telephonic assessments for depression and anxiety using validated, self‐report questionnaires. Results Subjects reported benefitting from our telephonic engagement strategies, including the COVID‐related safety awareness and counselling service. The proportion of subjects with depression increased from 7.42% pre‐COVID to 28.97% post‐COVID. Discussion We envisage that such engagement strategies would improve subject rapport and cohort retention, and thus, could be adopted by similar cohort studies across the world. This marginalized, rural Indian community had severe, adverse psychological impact in this pandemic. Urgent public health measures are needed to mitigate this impact and develop appropriate preventive strategies.

Depression and anxiety during the first and second waves of the COVID‐19 pandemic in two large, prospective, aging cohorts in rural and urban India

“…56 Our own experience of telephonically engaging with our rural (SANSCOG) cohort subjects during the first wave lockdown period to provide reassurance, awareness on COVID-related safety precautions, and medical guidance, when necessary, was appreciated by our participants. 39 However, it is important that these strategies are culturally acceptable and easily implementable through the existing primary healthcare infrastructure in India.…”

“…During the lockdown periods of the first and second waves of the COVID‐19 pandemic, we initially attempted to telephonically contact all participants in both rural (SANSCOG) and urban (TLSA) cohorts to enquire about their well‐being and to provide them awareness regarding COVID‐19‐related safety precautions as well as medical guidance, when necessary. Further details of these initial rounds of calls have been presented in another manuscript 39 . During these calls, participants from both cohorts were informed about the telephonic assessments for depression and anxiety and willing participants provided voluntary, telephonic consent for these assessments.…”

“…Further details of these initial rounds of calls have been presented in another manuscript. 39 During these calls, participants from both cohorts were informed about the telephonic assessments for depression and anxiety and willing participants provided voluntary, telephonic consent for these assessments.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on some modifiable risk factors of dementia in an aging, rural Indian population

“…Individuals with a known diagnosis of dementia (additional dementia screening was also done at the community before recruitment), psychosis, bipolar disorder, substance dependence (except nicotine), and any severe medical illness or significant hearing or vision impairment likely to limit the study evaluation are excluded. Further details of SANSCOG study recruitment and assessments are published elsewhere (34).…”

“…We are conducting a large-scale, population-based, prospective cohort study on aging in rural Indians, namely Srinivaspura Aging, NeuoSenescence, and COGnition (SANSCOG) study (34). This cohort study aims to understand the differential trajectories of aging and identify risk and protective factors for dementia.…”