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home/Knowledge Base/Psychiatry

Psychological effects on the Elderly

45 views 0 05/12/2020 Amina Ouali

  1. More than a third of the elderly questioned reports symptoms of anxiety and depression. Women seem to be more affected than men.1
  2. The social isolation of the elderly in times of quarantine puts them at risk of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression.2,3
  3. Fear of contracting SARS and social isolation were found to be statistically significant factors contributing to elderly suicides in 2003 in Hong Kong.3
  4. Psychological interventions targeting the elderly must be implemented to reduce the distress caused by the disease, and further mental health conditions.1-3
  5. Measures such as psychological assistance hotlines, online consultations and seeking help at a professional institution are recommended in case of important distress within the older population.1,2

The data from the first article comes from a survey made thought the Internet, in various parts of China. A total of 1556 older Chinese citizens (≥ 60 years old) took part in the study. It was made available on Psychiatry Research, an established peer-reviewed journal, as a pre-proofed article.

The second source consists of a commentary published on the Lancet Public Health, a branch of The Lancet, a reputable peer-reviewed medical journal.

The third article is based on case studies of 22 suicide deaths amongst the elderly during the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong followed by a quantitative analysis. It was published on Crisis, the Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, an international periodical that publishes articles on suicide and crisis intervention.

Sources: 

  1. Meng, H., Xu, Y., Dai, J., et al. (April 11, 2020). Analyze the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the elderly population in China and make corresponding suggestions. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112983
  2. Armitage, R., Nellums, B. (March 19, 2020). COVID-19 and the consequences of isolating the elderly. The Lancelet Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30061-X
  3. Yip, PS., Cheung, YT., Chau, PH., Law, YW. (April 23, 2010). The impact of epidemic outbreak: the case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and suicide among older adults in Hong Kong. Crisis. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000015.
Tags:anxietydepressionpsychological impactfearSuicideelderlysocial isolation

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