COVID-19 and Psychological Distress among Older Adults in Ghana

Abstract

COVID-19, the novel of all respiratory pandemics, has since its global invasion remained a significant threat in all spheres of human endeavour. This phenomenon has led to short-term and long-term psychosocial and mental health implications for many populations, particularly vulnerable groups, of which older people form part. This paper fills the lacuna in research on how the pandemic is breeding psychological distress among older people. Cross-sectional data were obtained from an Ageing, Health, Lifestyle and Health Services (AHLHS) study conducted between June 2020 and August 2020 (N = 400) in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. Sequential logistic regression models were performed to estimate the variables that predict psychological distress, whereas descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent of psychological distress among the study population. This study revealed that psychological distress was somehow prevalent, necessitating early intervention to minimise the risks of the said health risk. Additionally, gender, employment status, chronic NCDs, perceived health status and receipt of COVID-19 information were significantly associated with psychological distress among the respondents. It is necessary to employ strategies to minimise the psychological distress in Ghana during this pandemic.

COVID-19 experiences of social isolation and loneliness among older adults in Africa: a scoping review

“…Ten articles published between 2020 and 2022 were included in this review, and all articles focus on SI/L among older adults in the COVID-19 era. Six articles were published in Dovie ( 35 ), Jemal et al ( 36 ), Morgan et al ( 37 ), Ekoh et al ( 22 ), Asante et al ( 26 ), Ekoh ( 38 ). Also, three articles were published in Manyaapelo et al ( 29 ), Ekoh et al ( 28 ), Giebel et al ( 14 ), and one was published in Ekoh et al ( 39 ).…”

“…Also, three articles were published in Manyaapelo et al ( 29 ), Ekoh et al ( 28 ), Giebel et al ( 14 ), and one was published in Ekoh et al ( 39 ). Four of the included articles were focused on the social isolation experiences of older adults in Nigeria ( 22 , 28 , 38 , 39 ), three were from Ghana ( 26 , 35 , 37 ), one each from South Africa ( 29 ), Ethiopia ( 36 ), and Uganda ( 14 ). The four Nigerian articles ( 22 , 28 , 38 , 39 ) have the same first author, are results of different small studies conducted in the same communities (Ihe and Umudioka) and two anonymized care homes in Enugu and Anambra States, Nigeria.…”

“…The four Nigerian articles ( 22 , 28 , 38 , 39 ) have the same first author, are results of different small studies conducted in the same communities (Ihe and Umudioka) and two anonymized care homes in Enugu and Anambra States, Nigeria. Furthermore, five studies were conducted in Urban and Peri-Urban settings ( 26 , 29 , 35 – 37 ).…”

“…As shown in Table 3 , all of the studies utilized a cross-sectional design and there are two quantitative studies ( 36 , 37 ) and the remaining eight articles were based on qualitative studies. Among the qualitative articles, three studies adopted the phenomenological method ( 26 , 28 , 35 ), four studies used in-depth interview guides ( 26 , 28 , 29 , 39 ), while one study ( 38 ) involved a mix of older adults and caregivers as research participants, and the remaining studies focusing solely on older adults.…”

“…Across all the included articles, information on Table 4 shows, there were 961 research participants, and the sample sizes ranged from 11 participants ( 22 , 39 ) to 423 participants ( 36 ) across the studies. The minimum age of research participants was age 50 ( 37 ) and the maximum was 88 years ( 29 ). The majority (57%) of the participants are female and most (47%) older adults were not married.…”