scholarly journals Mental health impact of the COVID disaster on older people – how does it feel to be a burden?

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jutta Lindert
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Past Life ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Threat To Life ◽  
Current Exposure

Abstract The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a disaster that has impacted lives globally. The purpose of this paper is to understand the linkage between the COVID 19 disaster and its impact on mental health of older people 70+. To reach this aim we reviewed the literature on disasters, COVID and mental conditions of older people (70+). The mental responses of the COVID disaster are multidimensional and potentially long-lasting. Rates of mental conditions of older persons vary widely due to exposure to COVID, country, population groups and methods used when conducting the study. We identified a multitude of factors contributing to mental conditions in older people, in general. We identified COVID-19 specific factors which have an impact such as threat to own life and threat to life of loved ones, interruption of behaviors and services, and physical as well as social isolation. Additionally, in older age, life events and feelings of being a burden contribute to mental conditions. To better understand the long impact of the COVID disaster on older people`s mental health we need to understand also the impact of past life events which may exacerbate the impact of the COVID disaster on mental conditions as well the impact of the current exposure to the pandemic.

scholarly journals 9.L. Workshop: Mental health of older people

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The world's population is aging rapidly. Globally, the population of older people will nearly double in the next 30 years, from 12% to 22%. Unfortunately, many elderly people are often vulnerable to the development of mental health problems. Besides the development of mental disorders (such as depression) or neurological disorders (such as cognitive impairment), they often experience several health ailments and loss of functionality, which negatively impacts their mental health and wellbeing. The WHO points out that mental health problems among this group of people are under-identified by healthcare professionals and by older people and their relatives themselves, and that stigma surrounding these conditions makes people often reluctant to seek help. Therefore, more scientific research and debate is needed on mental health of older persons, especially from a public health perspective. By bringing together researchers on this domain from different countries and background, this workshop aims to contribute to the scientific insight in this topic and finally to the improvement of the mental health and wellbeing of this growing group of people. In this workshop, research findings on the prevalence of (undetected) mental health problems and the impact of organizational, social and physical conditions on these problems, among older persons, both institutionalized and not, will be presented and discussed by five researchers from different European countries. Dr. Sunwoo Lee (Czech Republic) will talk about the demographic, psychosocial, and health-related risk factors for suicidal ideation among older adults in 12 European countries. Dr. Patricia De Vriendt (Belgium) will give a presentation on the unnoticed mild cognitive problems in nursing homes in Flanders. Dr. Henriette van der Roest (the Netherlands) will show the relationship between organizational adaptions in Dutch nursing homes and cognitive improvement and quality of life among older persons with dementia. Dr. Jutta Lindert (Germany) will focus on the impact of social stress and strain on the episodic memory and executive functioning of the “Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) cohort. And finally Dr. Mauro Carta (Italy) will illustrate the positive effect of moderate physical activity on cognitive functioning and general wellbeing of older people. Key messages Mental health problems among the growing group of older people are prevalent and of different kind. More scientific insight is needed on the prevalence and determinants of these problems, in order to provide timely and adequate support and prevention.

scholarly journals Impact of an integrated community-based model of care for older people with complex conditions on hospital emergency presentations and admissions: a step-wedged cluster randomized trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Mann ◽  
Fintan Thompson ◽  
Robyn McDermott ◽  
A. Esterman ◽  
Edward Strivens
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Primary Practice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Open Arch

Abstract Background Health systems must reorient towards preventative and co-ordinated care to reduce hospital demand and achieve positive and fiscally responsible outcomes for older persons with complex needs. Integrated care models can improve outcomes by aligning primary practice with the specialist health and social services required to manage complex needs. This paper describes the impact of a community-facing program that integrates care at the primary-secondary interface on the rate of Emergency Department (ED) presentation and hospital admissions among older people with complex needs. Methods The Older Persons Enablement and Rehabilitation for Complex Health Conditions (OPEN ARCH) study is a multicentre randomised controlled trial with a stepped wedge cluster design. General practitioners (GPs; n = 14) in primary practice within the Cairns region are considered ‘clusters’ each comprising a mixed number of participants. 80 community-dwelling persons over 70 years of age if non-Indigenous and over 50 years of age if Indigenous were included at baseline with no new participants added during the study. Clusters were randomly assigned to one of three steps that represent the time at which they would commence the OPEN ARCH intervention, and the subsequent intervention duration (3, 6, or 9 months). Each participant was its own control. GPs and participants were not blinded. The primary outcomes were ED presentations and hospital admissions. Data were collected from Queensland Health Casemix data and analysed with multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression modelling to estimate the effectiveness of the OPEN ARCH intervention. Data were analysed at the cluster and participant levels. Results Five clusters were randomised to steps 1 and 2, and 4 clusters randomised to step 3. All clusters (n = 14) completed the trial accounting for 80 participants. An effect size of 9% in service use (95% CI) was expected. The OPEN ARCH intervention was found to not make a statistically significant difference to ED presentations or admissions. However, a stabilising of ED presentations and a trend toward lower hospitalisation rates over time was observed. Conclusions While this study detected no statistically significant change in ED presentations or hospital admissions, a plateauing of ED presentation and admission rates is a clinically significant finding for older persons with complex needs. Multi-sectoral integrated programs of care require an adequate preparation period and sufficient duration of intervention for effectiveness to be measured. Trial registration The OPEN ARCH study received ethical approval from the Far North Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee, HREC/17/QCH/104–1174 and is registered on the Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry, ACTRN12617000198325p.

scholarly journals Mental Health of Refugees and Migrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Experienced Discrimination and Daily Stressors

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6354
Author(s):  
Eva Spiritus-Beerden ◽  
An Verelst ◽  
Ines Devlieger ◽  
Nina Langer Primdahl ◽  
Fábio Botelho Guedes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Migrant Groups

The COVID-19 pandemic is a defining global health crisis of our time. While the impact of COVID-19, including its mental health impact, is increasingly being documented, there remain important gaps regarding the specific consequences of the pandemic on particular population groups, including refugees and migrants. This study aims to uncover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of refugees and migrants worldwide, disentangling the possible role of social and daily stressors, i.e., experiences of discrimination and daily living conditions. Descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the responses of N = 20,742 refugees and migrants on the self-reporting global ApartTogether survey. Survey findings indicated that the mental health of refugees and migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly impacted, particularly for certain subgroups, (i.e., insecure housing situation and residence status, older respondents, and females) who reported experiencing higher levels of increased discrimination and increases in daily life stressors. There is a need to recognize the detrimental mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on particular refugee and migrant groups and to develop interventions that target their unique needs.

scholarly journals The current pandemic, a complex emergency? Mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on highly vulnerable communities in Guatemala

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110272
Author(s):  
Dana Alonzo ◽  
Marciana Popescu ◽  
Pinar Zubaroglu-Ioannides
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Complex Emergency ◽  
The Impact

Background: On March 5th, Guatemala declared a ‘State of Calamity’ in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and strict lockdown measures were initiated. The psychological consequences of these measures are yet to be fully understood. There is limited research on the psychological impact of the virus in the general population, and even less focused on Latin America and high-risk communities characterized by poverty, limited mental health resources, and high rates of stigma around mental illness. The goal of this study is to examine the psychological impact of COVID-19 across several highly vulnerable districts in Guatemala. Methods: A semi-structured phone interview was conducted of 295 individuals in multiple districts in Guatemala City to assess self-perceived mental health consequences related to the pandemic. Sociodemographic, medical, and mental health data were collected. Chisquares and t-tests used for categorical and continuous variables, as appropriate, to describe the sample. Binary logistic regressions were estimated to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and mental health symptoms (anxiety, stress, depression, burnout, escalation of pre-existing mental health symptoms, and a sense of safety). Results: The results indicate high levels of anxiety and stress in all target communities. Significant differences based on gender, age, and the number of children in the household were identified: women and older adults experience higher rates of stress and anxiety associated with the pandemic; while families with greater number of children experience higher levels of burnout. Conclusion: Contextualizing the current pandemic as a complex emergency can help inform further studies focusing on socioeconomic challenges and higher vulnerabilities as preconditions affecting the impact of the pandemic on mental health. Given the limited available resources for mental health care in Guatemala, informal networks of care may play an important role in meeting the needs of those individuals experiencing increased psychological distress resulting from the pandemic.

scholarly journals Scoping review of mental health in prisons through the COVID-19 pandemic

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e046547
Author(s):  
Luke Johnson ◽  
Kerry Gutridge ◽  
Julie Parkes ◽  
Anjana Roy ◽  
Emma Plugge
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Prison Staff ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveTo examine the extent, nature and quality of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of imprisoned people and prison staff.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PsychExtra, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for any paper from 2019 onwards that focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on imprisoned people and prison staff. A grey literature search focused on international and government sources and professional bodies representing healthcare, public health and prison staff was also performed. We also performed hand searching of the reference lists of included studies.Eligibility criteria for selection of studiesAll papers, regardless of study design, were included if they examined the mental health of imprisoned people or prison staff specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imprisoned people could be of any age and from any countries. All languages were included. Two independent reviewers quality assessed appropriate papers.ResultsOf 647 articles found, 83 were eligible for inclusion, the majority (58%) of which were opinion pieces. The articles focused on the challenges to prisoner mental health. Fear of COVID-19, the impact of isolation, discontinuation of prison visits and reduced mental health services were all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of imprisoned people. The limited research and poor quality of articles included mean that the findings are not conclusive. However, they suggest a significant adverse impact on the mental health and well-being of those who live and work in prisons.ConclusionsIt is key to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic on people who live and work in prisons. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for getting the balance between infection control imperatives and the fundamental human rights of prison populations.

The mental health impact of the Troubles, 1969–1999

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Bolton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Peace Accord ◽  
The Troubles ◽  
Good Friday ◽  
Belfast Agreement ◽  
Good Friday Agreement ◽  
The Impact

This Chapter is the first of two that describe efforts to understand the mental health and related impacts of the conflict in Northern Ireland, often referred to as The Troubles. The Chapter covers the period from the outbreak of violence in the late 1960’s up until the period around the peace accord, the Belfast Agreement (or Good Friday Agreement) of April 1998. The early studies reveal little, if any, major effects on the wellbeing and mental health of the population, but as the years go by, evidence starts to build of the impact of the violence, particularly as the ceasefires of the early and mid 1990’s take hold. The developing understanding of the impact was due in part to the evolution of methods and approaches being used by researchers - which is discussed in more detail at the end of Chapter 5.

Youth Mentor Dietary Outcomes and Waist Circumference Improvement: Camp NERF Study Findings

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 962-971
Author(s):  
Laura C. Hopkins ◽  
Alison Webster ◽  
Julie A. Kennel ◽  
Kelly M. Purtell ◽  
Carolyn Gunther
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depth Interviews

Background. The health impact of youth mentors serving in the delivery of child nutrition and physical activity (PA) interventions on youth mentors themselves has been understudied. Objective. The primary objective of the current study was to examine the impact of engaging youth mentors in the delivery of a summertime childhood obesity prevention intervention on youth mentors’ behavioral health. Method. Data were collected at baseline and postintervention. A survey of validated nutrition, mental health, PA, and psychosocial questionnaires was administered. Diet was assessed via 24-hour recall. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were measured. In-depth interviews were conducted with youth mentors. Results. Eleven youth mentors enrolled: 60% were female, mean age was 16.1 ± 0.38 years, and 100% were Black. Mean kilocalories ( p = .05), sugar-sweetened beverage intake ( p = .08), and waist circumference ( p = .04) decreased. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 youth mentors, and three themes emerged: perceived improvement in nutrition, PA, and mental health-related behaviors; formation of a positive role modeling relationship with the child campers; and strengthening of higher education goals and future career aspirations. Conclusions. Youth mentor staffing may be an important intervention strategy for changing health behaviors among youth mentors. Results from this study can be used to inform utilization of youth mentors in the delivery of this and similar health behavior interventions in the future.

Effect of interventions using physical activity trackers on physical activity in people aged 60 years and over: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (20) ◽  
pp. 1188-1194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana S Oliveira ◽  
Cathie Sherrington ◽  
Elizabeth R Y Zheng ◽  
Marcia Rodrigues Franco ◽  
Anne Tiedemann
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older People ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Activity Tracker ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundOlder people are at high risk of physical inactivity. Activity trackers can facilitate physical activity. We aimed to investigate the effect of interventions using activity trackers on physical activity, mobility, quality of life and mental health among people aged 60+ years.MethodsFor this systematic review, we searched eight databases, including MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL from inception to April 2018. Randomised controlled trials of interventions that used activity trackers to promote physical activity among people aged 60+ years were included in the analyses. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42017065250.ResultsWe identified 23 eligible trials. Interventions using activity trackers had a moderate effect on physical activity (23 studies; standardised mean difference (SMD)=0.55; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.70; I2=86%) and increased steps/day by 1558 (95% CI 1099 to 2018 steps/day; I2=92%) compared with usual care, no intervention and wait-list control. Longer duration activity tracker-based interventions were more effective than short duration interventions (18 studies, SMD=0.70; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.93 vs 5 studies, SMD=0.14; 95% CI −0.26 to 0.54, p for comparison=0.02). Interventions that used activity trackers improved mobility (three studies; SMD=0.61; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.90; I2=10%), but not quality of life (nine studies; SMD=0.09; 95% CI −0.07 to 0.25; I2=45%). Only one trial included mental health outcomes and it reported similar effects of the activity tracker intervention compared with control.ConclusionsInterventions using activity trackers improve physical activity levels and mobility among older people compared with control. However, the impact of activity tracker interventions on quality of life, and mental health is unknown.

Emotion regulation processes as mediators of the impact of past life events on older adults’ psychological distress

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-209
Author(s):  
Virginia Fernández-Fernández ◽  
Andrés Losada-Baltar ◽  
María Márquez-González ◽  
Teresa Paniagua-Granados ◽  
Carlos Vara-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Past Life ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjective:Although it is known that certain emotion regulation processes produce a buffering effect on the relationship between life events and well-being, this issue has been poorly studied in the elderly population. Thus, the aim of the present study is to test and confirm a comprehensive model of the impact that past life events have on older adults’ psychological distress, exploring the possible mediating roles of emotion regulation processes. These include rumination, experiential avoidance, and personal growth.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 387 people over 60 years old residing in the community were assessed on life events, physical functioning, emotion regulation variables, psychological well-being, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.Results:The structural model tested achieved a satisfactory fit to the data, explaining 73% of the variance of older adults’ psychological distress. In addition, the main results suggest possible mediation effects of both the physical functioning and the emotional variables: rumination, experiential avoidance, and personal growth in the face of hardship.Conclusions:These findings confirm the importance of emotion regulation processes in the final stages of life. They reveal the various adaptive and maladaptive mechanisms that underlie the relationship between life events and psychological distress. The findings suggest – both in the explanatory models of psychological well-being and in psychotherapeutic interventions – the importance of emotion regulation in the elderly population’s health.

The impact of economic downturn on mental health in Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Latif
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Unemployment Rate ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Canadian Data ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use longitudinal Canadian data from the National Population Health Survey (1994-2006) to examine the impact of provincial unemployment rate on mental health as measured by the short form depression scale. Design/methodology/approach – To control for the unobserved individual specific factors, the study utilized individual-specific fixed-effects model. Findings – The study found that, for the overall model, provincial unemployment rate has a significant positive impact on depression. The study further examined the impact of unemployment rate on depression for a number of sub-groups based on gender, age, marital status, and education. The results suggest that the impacts of unemployment rate on depression are heterogeneous across different sub-groups. Practical implications – The results of this study have important policy implications. Previous studies suggest that mental stress may lead to risky health behaviours such excessive drinking, substance use, and smoking. These risky health behaviours may have long term health consequences in terms of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, etc. Thus policy makers may consider taking appropriate steps to provide mental health support during the period of recession. Such support may also be helpful for the unemployed individuals who are too depressed to search for job. Originality/value – Previous studies on this issue may suffer from potential bias since they omitted unobserved individual specific factors from the estimating equations. This paper has taken the opportunity of utilizing longitudinal Canadian Population Health Survey and adopts an individual specific fixed effects method to estimate the effects of macroeconomic conditions on mental health. All of the studies reviewed here used data from the USA. So far no study has examined the impact of unemployment rate on mental health using Canadian data. It is interesting to conduct a study using Canadian data since there are important differences between Canada and the USA with respect to labour market policies and health care systems.

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