Anxiety and depression in the elderly due to COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study

Abstract Background The elderly are a vulnerable section of the population who are prone to physical, mental, social, and economic deprivation. The effect of COVID-19 had a worldwide impact on all age groups, with a particularly higher mortality and morbidity rate among the elderly population. The present study was undertaken to know about the psychological morbidity in the geriatric population during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was cross-sectional and was done through a telephonic survey. Eligible elderly subjects were contacted telephonically, and the Geriatric Anxiety Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale were administered. To evaluate the functional ability of elderly subjects, the Everyday Abilities Scale for India (EASI) scale was administered. For the telephonic survey, verbal consent was sought. Results A total of 92 elderly subjects were included. Male outnumbered the females with a ratio of 1.8:1. Spouse and children were primary caregivers in 83.7% of the subjects. 90.2% were married, and 66.3% had earned a graduate/professional level of education. Chronic illness was present in 50% of subjects. The most common co-morbidities were hypertension (27.2%) and diabetes (21.7%). The proportion of elderly with anxiety and depression was 8.7% and 15.2% respectively. Conclusion The elderly showed lower levels of anxiety and depression. Higher resilience among the elderly and good family support may be the reasons for such an unexpected finding. However, more studies are required to validate the findings of the current study.

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Coping Strategies and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57101113 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (10) ◽

pp. 1113

Author(s):

Madalina Timircan ◽

Felix Bratosin ◽

Iulia Vidican ◽

Oana Suciu ◽

Mirela Turaiche ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Morbidity Rate ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Physical Burden

Background and Objectives: As maternal deaths associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection remain at several times greater than the general population, significant factors that might contribute to the higher mortality and morbidity rate are the psychological impact of the disease and pregnancy itself. Therefore, the current study’s main objective was to assess how pregnant women react and cope with the stress of COVID-19 disease and how it influences their overall health and quality of life in healthcare facilities. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 304 pregnant women who successfully completed standardized forms to assess our topics of interest, comprising of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Short Form Health Survey-12, the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory scale, the CORE-Outcome Measure Questionnaire, and the Quality from the Patient’s Perspective questionnaire. Results: Unemployed, pregnant women living in poverty in the rural areas had higher SARS-CoV-2 infection rates during pregnancy. They faced higher anxiety levels and depression rates, with associated increased physical burden and exhaustion. However, these findings are not influenced by hospital care since it remained unchanged among COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 maternity units, excepting significantly lower technical competence scores of COVID-19 facilities. Conclusions: As the pandemic’s consequences emerge and additional outbreaks occur, care must prioritize the additional physical burden experienced by pregnant women who have contracted COVID-19, as well as psychological, emotional, and mental health support.

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732Epidemiology of Geriatric Injury in Bangladesh: Findings from a National Survey

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyab168.555 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Farah Naz Rahman ◽

Jahangir Hossain ◽

AKM Fazlur Rahman

Keyword(s):

Elderly Population ◽

Service Providers ◽

Age Groups ◽

Morbidity Rate ◽

Vulnerable Group ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Health Service Providers ◽

Related Mortality

Abstract Background Everyday 2591 elderly people die due to injury worldwide. The complications and consequences of injury is different and worse than that of other age-groups. Yet little is known about the injury scenario of elderly population of Bangladesh. This paper aim to describe the epidemiology of geriatric injury of Bangladesh which will help policy-makers to undertake interventions for this vulnerable-group. Methods Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey 2016, a nationwide cross-sectional survey was carried out among 299,216 residents to identify the injury-related mortality and morbidity. Injury data among the population aged 60-years and above was extracted and analyzed for this study. Results Injury was found to cause 3.9% of the total deaths among elderly population of Bangladesh. Mortality and morbidity rate due to injury was found 157 (95%CI 112- 216) per 100,000 elderly populations and 129 (95%CI 124-133) per 1000 elderly population respectively. Fatality rate was 182.6 among urban population and 147 among rural population. Fall was identified as the leading cause of injury deaths and morbidity. It caused 47.2% of all fatality followed by Transport-injury (19.4%) and Suicide (13.9%). Among all fatally injured, 72.2% victims received treatment from health-service providers and among these 58.3% (n = 21) went to registered doctors. Conclusions Fall is the leading cause of injury related mortality and morbidity among elderly of Bangladesh. A significant amount of deaths also occurred due to RTI and suicide. Further in-depth research and interventions are needed to minimize the preventable burden of fatality and morbidity among this vulnerable-group. Key messages Elderly, Injury, Epidemiology, Bangladesh

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Association between BMI, Blood Pressure, and Age: Study among Tangkhul Naga Tribal Males of Northeast India

Journal of Anthropology ◽

10.1155/2011/748147 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

N. K. Mungreiphy ◽

Satwanti Kapoor ◽

Rashmi Sinha

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Northeast India ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Socioeconomic Environment ◽

Obese Subjects ◽

Older Subjects

Purpose. To find the prevalence of overweight/obesity and hypertension, and to study the association between BMI, blood pressure, and age. Methods. Cross-sectional study was carried out among 257 Tangkhul Naga males of Northeast India, age ranging from 20–70 years. The subjects were divided into five different age groups to study age trend. Results. Mean systolic, and diastolic BP was higher among subjects with elevated BMI and among older subjects. Minimum BP was found among underweight and maximum among obese. BP was found lowest among the youngest age group and higher among the elderly subjects. BMI was also found to be associated with age independently. Although the magnitude of correlation differed, there was significant positive correlation among BMI, age, systolic and diastolic BP. Odd ratios showed overweight/obese subjects to be more likely to have hypertension than those with normal BMI. Changing socioeconomic environment intensifies the prevalence of overweight/obesity and hypertension among the Tangkhul Nagas.

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Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders among the Rural Geriatric Population: A Pilot Study in Karnataka, India

Central Asian Journal of Global Health ◽

10.5195/cajgh.2015.138 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sreejith S. Nair ◽

Pooja Raghunath ◽

Sreekanth S. Nair

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Psychiatric Disorder ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Depression Scale ◽

The Elderly ◽

Geriatric Population ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

New Public Health ◽

The World

Background: Increasing life expectancy around the world, an outstanding achievement of our century, has brought with it new public health challenges. India is the second most populous country in the world, with over 72 million inhabitants above 60 years of age as of 2001. The life expectancy in India increased from 32 years in 1947 to over 66 years in 2010, with 8.0% of the population now reaching over 60 years of age. Few studies in India target the health, especially mental health, of this geriatric population. This study aims to estimate the current prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the geriatric population of the rural area of Singanodi,Karnataka, India.Methods: This cross sectional, epidemiological, community-based study was conducted in a rural health training area of Singanodi, Raichur District, Karnataka, India.The General Health Questionnaire-12, Mini Mental State Examination, and Geriatric Depression Scale were administered to 366 participants. Chi square tests with Yates correction were utilized for statistical analysis using SPSS 19.0 software.Results:We found that 33.9% of the geriatric population in the selected province were above the threshold for mental illness based on the GHQ-12 questionnaire. Females had a higher prevalence of mental disorder at 77.6% (152 out of 196) as compared to males who had a prevalence of 42.4% (72 out of 170). The most common psychiatric disorder was depression (21.9%), and generalized anxiety was present in 10.7% of the study population. Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 16.3%, with a significantly higher percentage of affected individuals in 80+ age group.Conclusion: Mental disorders are common among elderly people, but they are not well documented in rural India. The assessment of psychiatric disorder prevalence will help strengthen psycho-geriatric services and thus improve the quality of life of the elderly. A system that ensures comprehensive health care will have to be developed for this purpose as part of our future efforts.

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Prevalence and risk factors of underweight, overweight and obesity among a geriatric population living in a high-altitude region of rural Uttarakhand, India

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980018000447 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (10) ◽

pp. 1904-1911 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Aakriti Gupta ◽

Umesh Kapil ◽

Ritika Khandelwal ◽

Preetika Khenduja ◽

Neha Sareen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

High Altitude ◽

The Elderly ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

North India ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Anthropometric Parameters ◽

Geriatric Population ◽

Cross Sectional

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the prevalence and risk factors of underweight, overweight and obesity among a geriatric population living in a high-altitude region of India.DesignCommunity-based cross-sectional study. Data were collected on sociodemographic profile and anthropometric parameters. Weight and height measurements were utilized for calculation of BMI. Nutrient intake data were collected using 24 h dietary recall.SettingHigh-altitude region of Nainital District, Uttarakhand State, North India.SubjectsCommunity-dwelling geriatric subjects (n981) aged 60 years or above.ResultsWe found that 26·6 % of the elderly subjects were underweight (BMI<18·5 kg/m2). Overweight (BMI 25·0–29·9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI≥30·0 kg/m2) was seen among 18·0 % and 4·6 %, respectively. After controlling for potential cofounders, risk factors such as low level of education and income, chewing problems and lower number of daily meals were found to be associated with underweight. On the other hand, risk factors for overweight/obesity were lower age, high income and unskilled work.ConclusionsThere is a need to develop and implement intervention strategies to prevent underweight, overweight and obesity among the geriatric population of India.

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Quality of life, depressive symptoms and religiosity in elderly adults: a cross-sectional study

Texto & Contexto - Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/0104-07072014001000013 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 648-655 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Érika de Cássia Lopes Chaves ◽

Caroline Freire Paulino ◽

Valéria Helena Salgado Souza ◽

Ana Cláudia Mesquita ◽

Flávia Santana Carvalho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Positive Association ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Mild Depression ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Quality Of Life Scale

Quality of life and depression are relevant to the health of the elderly. Studies indicate a positive association between religiosity and health. This study investigated quality of life, depressive symptoms and their relationship with religiosity in the elderly. The study included 287 older people from a unit of the Family Health Strategy. Data were collected by means of the instruments: John Flanagan's Quality of Life Scale, the short Geriatric Depression Scale and the Duke University Religion Index. The elderly showed high levels of religiosity, which, according to Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient, was positively associated with quality of life (p<0.004), but not related to depressive symptoms. Results indicated a high degree of satisfaction among the elderly subjects with their quality of life, whereas 83% showed mild depression. In conclusion, religiosity is related to improvement in quality of life in the elderly.

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A validation study of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in different groups of Dutch subjects

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291796004382 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 363-370 ◽

Cited By ~ 1217

Author(s):

PH. SPINHOVEN ◽

J. ORMEL ◽

P. P. A. SLOEKERS ◽

G. I. J. M. KEMPEN ◽

A. E. M. SPECKENS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorder ◽

Random Sample ◽

Age Groups ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Unipolar Depression ◽

Dimensional Structure ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Hospital Anxiety ◽

Depression Subscale

Background. Research on the dimensional structure and reliability of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and its relationship with age is scarce. Moreover, its efficacy in determining the presence of depression in different patient groups has been questioned.Methods. Psychometric properties of the HADS were assessed in six different groups of Dutch subjects (N = 6165): (1) a random sample of younger adults (age 18–65 years) (N = 199); (2) a random sample of elderly subjects of 57 to 65 years of age (N = 1901); (3) a random sample of elderly subjects of 66 years or older (N = 3293); (4) a sample of consecutive general practice patients (N = 112); (5) a sample of consecutive general medical out-patients with unexplained somatic symptoms (N = 169); and (6) a sample of consecutive psychiatric out-patients (N = 491).Results. Evidence for a two-factor solution corresponding to the original two subscales of the HADS was found, although anxiety and depression subscales were strongly correlated. Homogeneity and test–retest reliability of the total scale and the subscales were good. The dimensional structure and reliability of the HADS was stable across medical settings and age groups. The correlations between HADS scores and age were small. The total HADS scale showed a better balance between sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) in identifying cases of psychiatric disorder as defined by the Present State Examination than the depression subscale in identifying cases of unipolar depression as defined by ICD-8.Conclusions. The moderate PPV suggests that the HADS is best used as a screening questionnaire and not as a ‘case-identifier’ for psychiatric disorder or depression.

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Factors Related to the Depression Score in the Elderly at the Social Service of the Dharma Asri Binjai Nursing Home

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2021.6279 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (T3) ◽

pp. 9-12

Author(s):

Ariwan Selian ◽

Bahagia Loebis ◽

Mustafa M. Amin ◽

Nazli Mahdinasari

Keyword(s):

Nursing Home ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Elderly People ◽

Social Service ◽

Age Groups ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Social

BACKGROUND: Depression is the most common psychiatric problem in the elderly. Suicidal thoughts or recurring thoughts of death are common in people suffering from depression. Depression in the elderly has a very poor prognosis compared to people in other age groups because they have a relatively higher risk of suicide and death. Elderly people in nursing homes is a condition that significantly affects the quality of life and survival and harms the psychology of the elderly, cause stress is due to elderly people in nursing homes associated with medical and psychosocial problems such as divorce/widows, poverty, and social isolation. AIM: We aimed to find out the factors that affect the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS 15) score in elderly people at the Social Service of the Dharma Asri Binjai Nursing Home. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional approach to 91 subjects at the Dharma Asri Binjai Nursing Home Social Service starting from June to July 2020 utilizing sampling, namely, simple random sampling. The tests conducted in this study consisted of a bivariate test and a multivariate linear regression test to determine which factors are associated with depression. The measuring instrument used was the GDS 15. RESULTS: After the multivariate test was carried out, the variables that were statistically significant to the total score of depression in the elderly at the Binjai Dharma Asri nursing home were Gender (p < 0.001) and activity of daily living (ADL) Score (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The factors associated with the GDS score of 15 and the occurrence of depression in the elderly were found in the gender variable and the ADL score variable.

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Investigation of minor psychiatric symptoms in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis treatment

Scientia Medica ◽

10.15448/1980-6108.2018.2.29538 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 29538

Author(s):

Caio Henrique Rangel Silva ◽

Vanessa de Albuquerque Cítero ◽

Daniel Pereira Coqueiro ◽

Noemi Peres Honorato

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Age Groups ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Positive Contribution ◽

Hospital Anxiety ◽

Psychotherapeutic Treatment ◽

Cross Sectional

AIMS: To identify the sociodemographic characteristics and the presence of minor symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients on hemodialysis.METHODS: Cross-sectional study, carried out in the hemodialysis units of the Santas Casas de Misericórdia in Marília and Tupã, São Paulo state, Brazil, with 65 hemodialytic patients, ranging from 20 to 86 years. Initially, the mental state of the participants was evaluated in order to ensure they had conditions to understand the research objectives and to respond to the evaluation instruments. Following, the subjects answered to the socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The data were organized using relative and absolute frequencies for the categorical variables, and measures of central tendency and dispersion for the quantitative variables. In order to compare the mean scores according to the studied variables, unpaired Student's t test and Analysis of Variance were used in addition to Mann Whitney U-Test and Kruskal-Wallis test when the distribution did not present normality. The adopted level of significance was 5% (p<0.05).RESULTS: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for minor symptoms identified 42 patients with anxiety and 45 with depression. The anxiety mean scores were statistically higher in the female (10.23±4.51) than in the male (8.32±3.68) patients (p=0.034). Patients aged 31 to 41 years and 42 to 52 years had higher depression scores (12.20±1.48 and 11.16±2.50 respectively) when compared to patients aged over 52 years (9.23±3.63) and aged 20 to 30 years (5.50±2.12) (p=0.017). Patients who underwent psychotherapeutic treatment had lower scores of anxiety (1.00±1.41) compared to those who had already undergone psychotherapeutic treatment and those had never been under treatment (9.27±3.92 and 12.75±3.40 respectively) (p=0.020).CONCLUSIONS: According to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, women had higher anxiety mean scores than men. The lowest scores for anxiety and depression were present in the younger and older age groups of women, and those who underwent psychotherapy presented even lower scores. Clinical management in psychotherapy can be a positive contribution to ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression, improving the patients' ability to cope with hemodialysis.

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The Pelvic Incidence Stratified Sagittal Spinopelvic Alignment in Asymptomatic Chinese Population With Different Age Groups

Global Spine Journal ◽

10.1177/2192568221989647 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 219256822198964

Author(s):

Siyu Zhou ◽

Zhuoran Sun ◽

Wei Li ◽

Da Zou ◽

Weishi Li

Keyword(s):

Chinese Population ◽

Pelvic Incidence ◽

Sagittal Alignment ◽

Age Groups ◽

Vertical Axis ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Sagittal Vertical Axis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sagittal Parameters ◽

Very High

Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To provide the age- and pelvic incidence-related variations of sagittal alignment in asymptomatic Chinese population. Methods: This study recruited asymptomatic adult subjects. All subjects undertook the standing whole spinal radiograph and the sagittal parameters were measured: sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 pelvic angle (TPA), lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), pelvic incidence (PI) and pelvic tilt (PT). All subjects were divided into young, middle aged and elderly groups, then each age group was further divided into 5 subgroups (very low, low, average, high and very high) based on PI values. The relations between PI, age and other parameters were evaluated. The differences in sagittal parameters of each PI subgroup were compared. Results: 546 subjects were included with an average age of 38.6 years (18 to 81). The number of subjects over 70 years and with very low PI was relatively small. The average of PI, TPA, PT and LL were 45.9° ± 8.4°, 6.4° ± 6.2°, 11.9° ± 6.6° and 49.2° ± 10.1°, respectively. SVA, TPA, TK and PT increased with age ( P < 0.05), while SVA, TPA, PT, PI-LL also increased with PI ( P < 0.05). LL, PT, TPA, PI-LL and LL-TK were different among the 5 PI subgroups ( P < 0.05). However, the values of LL in elderly subjects with high and very high PI were similar. Conclusion: The age- and PI-related variations in sagittal alignment of Chinese population were provided. The sagittal parameters were significantly influenced by age and PI. The individual pelvic morphology should be carefully considered during the assessment and restoration of sagittal balance.

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