The Impact Of The Pandemic On The Mental Health Of The Elderly
The Impact Of The Pandemic On The Mental Health Of The Elderly- A report on how Covid-19 affected mental health of old peoples.
The Impact Of The Pandemic On The Mental Health Of The Elderly
People’s daily routines have been disrupted in almost every way by the Covid-19 outbreak. Covid-19 lockdown measures were more stringent for those over the age of 70, who are at a greater risk of getting the illness. As a result of the pandemic, older adults have been negatively affected in terms of mental health and well-being.
1. Social isolation is characterized by a lack of physical interaction with close friends and family,
as well as a lack of participation in social activities and social networks.
The present Covid-19 societal constraints cause elderly people to feel unimportant and useless, as well as burdensome.
Everyone’s well-being and health are threatened by loneliness and isolation.
Loneliness is more common among the elderly, even under normal conditions.
2. In order to better understand how the pandemic affected the health of 1,679 older Dutch persons (65 to 102 years old), a study was performed.
Social connections are disrupted by the ageing population’s need for a sense of belonging, solidarity, and love.
When a loved one dies, people feel a deep sense of loss.
Anxiety, depression, and loneliness are all common side effects of losing a loved one.
Stress is said to be a side effect of the epidemic (Van Tilburg and colleagues, 2020)
3. Ghana’s administration, like that of other African nations,
has banned all kinds of social gatherings, including religious services and educational institutions, throughout the country.
As a result of these restrictive rules, elderly people are separated from their loved ones,
there is uncertainty about their health state, and there is an abundance of living supplies (Gyasi, 2020 pp.688-690).
This may have a negative impact on the quality of life and mental health of the elderly because it causes a state of extreme moral panic, which is accompanied by feelings of dread and fear.
- The epidemic has exacerbated a number of issues affecting the elderly and those who care for them, including those relating to mental health.
During the epidemic, service providers have likewise scaled down on their official assistance.
Decision-making concerning care plans and requirements for the elderly,
especially those with mental health issues, is often out of their hands (Brennan, 2020 pp.1205-1209).
The virus is more prone to spread among the elderly who reside in nursing facilities.
Elderly people’s health and well-being are negatively impacted by the lack of visiting family members.
5. Covid-19 was studied among 3,771 older persons in the United Kingdom to see how it affected their mental health and well-being.
Covid-19 had a detrimental influence on the health and well-being of the elderly population in the United Kingdom in the early phases.
Preexisting medical illnesses and socioeconomic disadvantages were shown to have the greatest impact on mental health among the elderly.
In addition, as the Covid-19 epidemic spreads, the senior population is feeling alone and alone.
Suicidal thoughts and a sense of despair have both increased among older persons as a result of the projected impact of social and economic instability. O’Connor and colleagues (2020, p. 1-8),
6. Neurocognitive, psychological, cardiovascular, and immunological disorders are all exacerbated by social isolation in the elderly.
Anxiety and sadness are more common among the elderly when they are socially isolated.
Worry of quarantine or hospitalisation, fear of catching the virus, anxiety, fear of abandonment, and frequent check-ups are some of the other psychological concerns associated with social isolation (Girdhar et al., 2020 pp.32-5).
Seniors suffering from loneliness and depression are more likely to engage in self-destructive behaviour and develop mental health problems.
7. Elderly people in Chile were subjected to draconian limitations on social interaction and mobility in order to prevent the spread of the illness.
It is difficult for the elderly to earn a living and meet their fundamental necessities because of obligatory quarantines and their modest pensions.
The epidemic is wreaking havoc on Chile’s healthcare system and mental health system (Wu, 2020 pp. 1-3).
Many older people suffer from despair and anxiety as a result of not having a reliable source of income.
8. The pandemic epidemic will have long-term and severe repercussions on the mental and physical health of older persons.
Those above the age of 65 have a higher risk of suffering from loneliness and isolation.
They are the fundamental causes of poor bodily and mental health (Hossain et al 2020).
Loneliness and social isolation may be alleviated through enhancing social ties,
public health messages, community-based networks, and mobilising resources from family and friends.
9. Health and well-being throughout the world have been negatively affected by the epidemic.
The pandemic has had a substantial psychological effect in addition to the social and economic repercussions and physical health.
Covid-19 victims, especially the elderly, suffer from a wide range of mental health concerns.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts and actions, impulsiveness, insomnia, illogical frustration, anxiety, and sadness are all examples of mental health issues (Gyasi, 2020 pp.1187-1192).
10. Due to the high level of exposure to Covid-19, elderly people over the age of 60 account for the majority of deaths.
The degradation of the immune system is connected to ageing.
Over a quarter of the elderly in Africa suffer from some kind of neurological or mental illness.
Age-segregated deaths from Covid-19 infection and anxiety disorders, emotional insecurity,
and depression in older African people have been linked (Carriedo et al., 2020 pp.1146-1155).
During the epidemic, the elderly in Africa are subjected to ageism, which exacerbates their mental health concerns.
11. Due to the statewide lockdowns imposed by the Covid-19 outbreak, many Spanish citizens have been obliged to stay at home.
The pandemic’s effects on the mind and body are particularly distressing for those over 60.
.The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that elderly individuals in Spain engage in physical activity (Khan et al., 2020 pp.121-128)
The pliability of self-efficacy, locus, and optimism of older persons who participated in physical activities was shown to be greater than that of those who did not.
12. When coronavirus was discovered, Bangladesh was one of the nations that used a lockdown policy.
Since its spread, the virus has presented a danger to both mental and physical health (Esteban-Gonzalo et al. 2020 p.3197)
As a result of Covid-19’s impact, older persons with pre-existing problems have had significant mental health implications,
such as necessitating the attention of the relevant authorities in order to provide appropriate support.
13. Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression are more common among the elderly who have symptoms of the virus or who have a close family member or friend who has the virus.
Unemployment, poverty, mental illness, chronic physical illness, and a diagnosis of Covid-19 are all associated with increased risk of suicide ideation and self-harm behaviour in older adults in the United Kingdom (Talevi et al., 2020 pp.137-144).
Depressive symptoms are more common in older Covid-19 users with little social support and pre-existing medical disorders.
14. People who have been affected by public health disasters are said to have a variety of mental health issues.
There is a strong likelihood that people who have been infected with the virus will have significant mental morbidity and psychological distress.
People over the age of 65 who get infected with the Covid-19 virus are more prone to have psychopathological symptoms as a result of the illness progressing, clinical indicators, social isolation, and the virus’s misperceptions, as well as physical pain and stressful life events (Mehra et al., 2020 p.102114)
15. For most older people, their main and medical needs are met by others.
The elderly, especially those who are digitally illiterate, have felt alienated since social isolation was implemented as a command to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
In order to avoid the general population, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises the elderly to remain in their homes (Shah et al., 2020).
Social isolation is a major public health problem that raises the risk of mental health problems.
16. There is a neuropsychiatric link between mental illness and respiratory diseases that stretches back to the incidence of SARS and influenza many years ago.
Quarantined people may suffer feelings of rage, isolation, and boredom.
Anxiety and cognitive anguish may result from the symptoms of a viral infection, such as fever and cough, in the elderly population (Corley et al., 2021 p.101545).
Early on in the course of Covid-19, elderly patients may have symptoms of anxiety, panic, sadness, delirium, psychomotor excitation, and/or psychosis.
17. Almost every aspect of our daily routine has been disrupted by the coronavirus.
Persons above the age of 70 who are at high risk of catching the virus have been subjected to more harsh lockdown protocols.
A survey of 190 Scottish senior citizens found that they were spending more time in the garden than they had in the years before to Covid19 (Buenaventura et al., pp.1129-1133)
People reported increased health and sleep as a consequence of the treatment.
18. Older folks worry about acquiring Covid-19 and not obtaining proper treatment since many governments emphasize younger people.
Older people feel like a burden to society when they are subjected to restrictions such as seclusion.
Risk factors for suicide behaviour include feelings of being a burden and a disillusioned sense of belonging (Kessler and Bowen, 2020).
Young and old alike see older persons as fragile as a result of Covid-19 ageism. As a result, their mental and physical health declines are more pronounced.
Conclusion
A number of the most serious impacts of the epidemic include mental health issues and feelings of loneliness.
Older persons with pre-existing diseases and those from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds had the lowest psychological health outcomes, according to above research.
Patients above the age of 65 may experience anxiety, panic attacks, sadness, delirium, psychomotor excitation, and psychotic symptoms, among other things.
Some elderly patients, on the other hand, have increased their physical activity levels while on lockdown.
This has resulted in significant improvements in both their mental and physical health.
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/digitalassignmenthelppp/