Determination of Death Anxiety and Death-Related Depression Levels in the Elderly During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Erbesler, Zeynel Abidin; Demir, Gökçe

doi:10.1177/00302228221082429

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Among the reasons why COVID-19 is considered a threat, the possibility of high-income elderly people and even healthy adults to die is highlighted (Campiolo et al, 2020). Erbesler and Demir (2022) identified that death was pointed out as the biggest fear among the elderly people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. The fact that COVID-19 is an infectious disease, high mortality rates, uncertainties about the future and classification of the elderly as part of the risk group can cause these people to think about death, raising the levels of anxiety and depression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Representations of COVID-19 Among Brazilian Elderly Women: A Structural Approach

Ferreira¹,

Araújo²,

Neto³

2022

LRPP

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Background: In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) «a public health emergency of international concern» owing to the detection of cases and the rapid spread of the disease. Objective: This study aimed at understanding the social representations of COVID-19 among Brazilian elderly women. Method: A total of 100 elderly women selected by convenience sampling, with an average age of 69.24 years old (SD = 6.58), participated in the study. Data were collected online using a sociodemographic questionnaire and a free word association test (FWAT) with the stimulus word «COVID-19.» The responses were examined by prototypical analysis through IRaMuTeQ. Results: The social representations of COVID-19 emphasize death and fear of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Elements associated with measures to contain the virus are also part of the representational field. Conclusions: Understanding social representations of COVID-19 in elderly women may contribute to short- and long-term interventions to reduce the psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 in this age group.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Representations of COVID-19 Among Brazilian Elderly Women: A Structural Approach

Ferreira¹,

Araújo²,

Neto³

2022

LRPP

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“…A surprising finding for the COVID fear scale was that as the fear of COVID infection increased, self-care decreased which is the opposite of what would be expected and difficult to interpret (Sharifi et al, 2021). In a similar study, death anxiety and death-related depression were correlated with each other (N= 344) (Erbesler et al, 2022). This was not surprising given that depression and anxiety are typically comorbid.…”

Section: Fear Of Covid and Fear Of Deathmentioning

confidence: 93%

Elderly Problems During COVID-19: A Narrative Review

2022

IJPRR

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“…This review concludes that sex, specifically being female, [25][26][27]31,32,38,45,50,62,63 is associated with an increased likelihood of having depressive symptoms. This finding is consistent with pre-pandemic studies, [64][65][66] as well as a study conducted during the previous SARS-CoV-1 outbreak.…”

Section: Sociodemographic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Stress-related factors and feelings or worries related to the pandemic: COVID-19 concerns, 31,[40][41][42] immediate distress related to COVID-19, 43 feeling very vulnerable to the risk of contracting COVID-19, 31,35,44,45 fear of infecting other people 45 and feelings regarding the high mortality due to COVID-19 46 are encompassed in this domain and were associated with higher rates of depression. Studies related to the previous outbreak of SARS-CoV-1 in 2002 also reported an association between depressive symptoms and concerns about the future 47 and high perceived threat of mortality.…”

Section: Factors Related To the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…47 Regarding age, pre-pandemic studies significantly associate older age with a greater likelihood of depression, [67][68][69] which is in line with our review. 31,37,46,70,71 Being widowed, single, or divorced is associated with the presence of depressive symptoms in both pandemic 28,30,45,54,63 and pre-pandemic periods. 68,[72][73][74][75] These results may be due to affective relationships and social interaction with a partner represent protective factors for mental health.…”

Section: Sociodemographic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Depression in older adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A systematic review

Silva

Fonseca

Ferreira

et al. 2023

J American Geriatrics Society

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Background Depression affected 5.7% of people aged 60 years and over prior to the pandemic and has increased by approximately 28%. The aim of this study is to identify and describe factors associated with depressive symptoms, the diagnostic assessment instruments and interventions used to evaluate and treat depression in adults aged 60 years and older since the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Four electronic databases were systematically searched to identify eligible studies published since the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic. A total of 832 articles were screened, of which 53 met the inclusion criteria. Results Factors contributing to depressive symptoms in older adults prior to the pandemic were grouped into the following categories: sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., being female); loneliness and weak social support; limitations in daily functioning, physical activity and neurocognitive impairment; and clinical factors. The following groups of factors directly related to the pandemic were found: stress‐related factors and feelings or worries related to the pandemic; information access (e.g., receiving news about COVID‐19 through the media); factors directly related to COVID‐19 (e.g., having infected acquaintances); and factors related to the measures that were taken to reduce the spread of COVID‐19 (e.g., confinement measures). The most frequently used instrument to assess depressive symptoms was the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form (GDS‐SF). Four studies implemented interventions during the pandemic that led to significant reductions in depressive symptoms and feelings of loneliness. Conclusions Improved understanding of pandemic‐associated risk factors for depression can inform person‐cantered care. It is important continued mental healthcare for depression for older adults throughout crises, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. Remote delivery of mental healthcare represents an important alternative during such times. It is crucial to address depression in older adults (which often causes disability), since the pandemic situation has increased depressive symptoms in this population.

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Determination of Death Anxiety and Death-Related Depression Levels in the Elderly During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 10 publications

References 18 publications

Social Representations of COVID-19 Among Brazilian Elderly Women: A Structural Approach

Social Representations of COVID-19 Among Brazilian Elderly Women: A Structural Approach

Elderly Problems During COVID-19: A Narrative Review

Depression in older adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A systematic review

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