COVID-19 pandemic and mental health care of older adults in India

Vahia, Vihang N.; Shah, Ashutosh B.

doi:10.1017/s1041610220001441

Cited by 35 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…E.g., a study from the Philippines (a lower-middle income country) concluded that older Filipinos suffered emotionally, spiritually and socially with the country not being sufficiently equipped to manage the crisis [38]. Similar concerns have been expressed from India [39]. This requires differentiated considerations and targeted and tailored measures in the area of public health.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental and social health in the German old age population largely unaltered during COVID-19 lockdown: results of a representative survey

Röhr¹,

Reininghaus²,

Riedel-Heller³

2020

Preprint

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Background: Older individuals are at increased risk of a severe and lethal course of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. During lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus, older individuals have typically been advised to practice particularly restrictive social distancing, often referred to as ‘cocooning’. Whether the COVID-19 vulnerability and cocooning impact the mental and social health of older individuals has sparked much debate. We aim to provide data-based evidence. Methods: Computer-assisted standardized telephone interviews were conducted in a randomly selected, representative sample of the German old age population (n = 1,005; age ≥ 65 years) during lockdown in April 2020. Assessments included sociodemographic factors, aspects of the personal life situation during lockdown, attitudes towards COVID-19, and standardized screening instruments for depression, anxiety, somatization, posttraumatic stress, perceived stress, loneliness and social support as well as indicators of social isolation. Sampling-weighted descriptive statistics and multiple multivariable regression analyses were conducted. Results: Participants were M = 75.5 (SD = 7.1, range = 65-94) years old; 56.3% were women. At time of data collection, COVID-19 lockdown had been in force for M = 28.0 (SD = 4.8) days. Overall, older individuals were worried about COVID-19, but understanding and supportive of the COVID-19 lockdown. Mean scores and prevalences of measured mental and social health variables were comparable to figures reported before the pandemic, except slightly higher perceived stress und higher perceived social support. There were only few significant associations of aspects of the personal life situation during lockdown and attitudes towards COVID-19 with mental and social health variables, with resilience explaining a large amount of variance. Conclusions: In the short-term, the mental and social health of the German old age population was largely unaltered during COVID-19 lockdown, suggesting resilience against the challenging pandemic situation. Our results refute common ageist stereotypes of “the weak and vulnerable elderly” that were present during the pandemic. Long-term observations over the course of the pandemic and post-pandemic are needed to provide robust evidence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental and social health in the German old age population largely unaltered during COVID-19 lockdown: results of a representative survey

Röhr¹,

Reininghaus²,

Riedel-Heller³

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, a meta-analysis on aging and the misinformation effect found that older adults aged above 65 are more vulnerable to misinformation [37]. Misinformation could aggravate fear and increase the sense of helplessness [38]. Misinformation has prevailed during the current pandemic, and reports of older adults perceiving that COVID-19 had periled their existence [35] is an example that emphasizes the negative mental health impact of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable group.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived fear of COVID-19 and its associated factors among Nepalese older adults in eastern Nepal: A cross-sectional study

Yadav

Singh

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

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Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected all age groups worldwide, but older adults have been affected greatly with an increased risk of severe illness and mortality. Nepal is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The normal life of older adults, one of the vulnerable populations to COVID-19 infection, has been primarily impacted. The current evidence shows that the COVID-19 virus strains are deadly, and non-compliance to standard protocols can have serious consequences, increasing fear among older adults. This study assessed the perceived fear of COVID-19 and associated factors among older adults in eastern Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2020 among 847 older adults (≥60 years) residing in three districts of eastern Nepal. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using the seven-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Multivariate logistic regression identified the factors associated with COVID-19 fear. Results The mean score of the FCV-19S was 18.1 (SD = 5.2), and a sizeable proportion of older adults, ranging between 12%-34%, agreed with the seven items of the fear scale. Increasing age, Dalit ethnicity, remoteness to the health facility, and being concerned or overwhelmed with the COVID-19 were associated with greater fear of COVID-19. In contrast, preexisting health conditions were inversely associated with fear. Conclusion Greater fear of the COVID-19 among the older adults in eastern Nepal suggests that during unprecedented times such as the current pandemic, the psychological needs of older adults should be prioritized. Establishing and integrating community-level mental health support as a part of the COVID-19 preparedness and response plan might help to combat COVID-19 fear among them.

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“…Furthermore, a metanalysis on aging and the misinformation effect found that older adults above the age of 65 are more vulnerable to misinformation (27). Misinformation could aggravate fear and increase the sense of helplessness (28). Misinformation and ageism have prevailed during the current pandemic, and reports of older adults perceiving that COVID-19 had periled their existence (29) is an example that emphasizes the negative mental health impact of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Fear of COVID-19 and its Associated Factors Among Nepalese Older Adults in Eastern Nepal: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Study

Yadav

Singh

et al. 2020

Preprint

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BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted all age groups, but older adults may have greater distress given their increased risk for severe illness and mortality. In Nepal, most stories of older adults are untold ̶ both in pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 era. In this study, we aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19, and associated factors, among older adults in eastern Nepal.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2020 among 847 older adults (≥60 years) residing in three districts of eastern Nepal. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using the seven-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). In order to examine the factors associated with the COVID 19 fear, a generalized estimating equation, adjusting the sampling design was used. STATA 15 and JASP 0.13.1 were used for data analyses.ResultsThe mean score of the FCV-19S was 18.1±5.2, and a sizeable proportion of participants, ranging between 12%-34%, agreed to the seven items of the fear scale. Increasing age, Dalit ethnicity remoteness to the health facility, and being concerned or overwhelmed with the COVID-19 were associated with greater fear of COVID-19. Surprisingly, pre-existing health conditions were inversely associated with fear of COVID-19.ConclusionGreater fear of the COVID-19 pandemic among the older population suggests that during unprecedented times such as the current pandemic, the psychological needs of most vulnerable groups should be prioritized. Fear among the most vulnerable groups could be reduced with the flow of adequate genuine information as well as better preparedness and psychosocial interventions.

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COVID-19 pandemic and mental health care of older adults in India

Cited by 35 publications

References 0 publications

Mental and social health in the German old age population largely unaltered during COVID-19 lockdown: results of a representative survey

Mental and social health in the German old age population largely unaltered during COVID-19 lockdown: results of a representative survey

Perceived fear of COVID-19 and its associated factors among Nepalese older adults in eastern Nepal: A cross-sectional study

Perceived Fear of COVID-19 and its Associated Factors Among Nepalese Older Adults in Eastern Nepal: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Study

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