COVID-19 infodemic and adult and elderly mental health: a scoping review

Abstract Objective: to map scientific knowledge about the repercussions of the infodemic on adult and elderly mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: this is a scoping review, developed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, which included 33 articles. These articles were analyzed according to average age, gender and education level; place and period of the studies; exposure time to COVID-19 information; main signs and symptoms related to mental health; main sources of information; suggestions for mitigating the effects of the infodemic; and knowledge gaps. Results: the most present repercussions of the infodemic on the adult and elderly mental health were anxiety, depression and stress, and the most affected group was young adults and females. Conclusion: future studies with more robust designs are needed to investigate the repercussions of the infodemic on people’s mental health in the medium and long term, as well as to assess the effects, feasibility, cost-benefit and meaning of interventions in population groups, especially in the elderly population.

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Health risk assessment and countermeasure analysis of the elderly population exposed to PM2.5 microenvironment

Work ◽

10.3233/wor-205361 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Yan Xu ◽

Wantian Cui

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Risk ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Negative Impact ◽

The Elderly ◽

Exposure Concentration ◽

Physical Diseases ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND: China’s atmospheric PM2.5 pollution is serious, and PM2.5 exerts a negative impact on the human respiratory system, cardiovascular, and mental health, and even more serious health risk for the elderly with weak immunity. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to analyse the impacts of PM2.5 microenvironment exposure on the health of the elderly and provide corresponding countermeasures. METHODS: The survey subjects are 118 retired elderly people in the community. PM2.5 exposure concentrations are monitored in summer (June 10 ∼ July 10, 2019) and winter (November 25 ∼ December 25, 2019). RESULTS: The exposure concentration in winter is higher than that in summer, with statistical difference (P < 0.05). Under the impact of PM2.5 microenvironment exposure, smoking in the elderly can increase the concentration of PM2.5, and long-term exposure to PM2.5 in the elderly can cause mental health problems. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure of the elderly to the PM2.5 microenvironment leads to physical diseases and even psychological problems, which requires attention.

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Implications for health services

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.1997.0175 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 352 (1363) ◽

pp. 1887-1893 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John Grimley Evans

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Political Thought ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Average Duration ◽

Later Life ◽

The Elderly ◽

Services Research ◽

Extrinsic Factors ◽

Progressive Loss

Health services for older people in the NHS have developed pragmatically, and reflect the nature of disease in later life and the need to agree objectives of care with patients. Although services are likely to be able to cope with the immediate future, the growth of the elderly population anticipated from 2030 calls for long–term planning and research. The issue of funding requires immediate political thought and action. Scientifically the focus needs to be on maximizing the efficiency of services by health services research and reducing the incidence of disability in later life through research on its biological and social determinants. Senescence is a progressive loss of adaptability due to an interaction between intrinsic (genetic) processes with extrinsic factors in environment and lifestyle. There are grounds for postulating that a policy of postponement of the onset of disability, by modifications of lifestyle and environment, could reduce the average duration of disability before death. The new political structures of Europe offer underexploited–unexploited opportunities for the necessary research.

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Dental plaque control strategies for the elderly population: a scoping review

International Journal of Dental Hygiene ◽

10.1111/idh.12497 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

María del Rosario Ruiz Núñez ◽

Mariane da Luz Raulino ◽

Renata Goulart Castro ◽

Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira de Mello

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Dental Plaque ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Control Strategies ◽

The Elderly ◽

Plaque Control

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Clinical manifestations of chronic subdural hematoma in the elderly: Literature Review

10.5327/1516-3180.462 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriela Ferreira Kalkmann ◽

Carlos Umberto Pereira ◽

Francisco de Assis Pereira ◽

Débora Moura da Paixão Oliveira ◽

Nicollas Nunes Rabelo

Keyword(s):

Early Diagnosis ◽

Literature Review ◽

Subdural Hematoma ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Chronic Subdural Hematoma ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

The Elderly ◽

Study Results

Introduction: The clinical manifestations of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) are often confused with other medical entities in the elderly, making their early diagnosis difficult or difficult. Early diagnosis is important, since its prognosis is directly associated with the preoperative neurological state, thus resulting in a worse vital and functional prognosis. Objectives: Report through a literature review the clinical manifestations of CSDH in the elderly population. Methods: Literature review, with the search terms: “Signs and Symptoms”, “Chronic Subdural Hematoma”, Aged, Diagnosis and Prognosis. In which PubMed, Lilacs, Scielo, Cochrane and TripDataBase data platforms were used. The inclusion criteria were: original studies published in any language. Articles in which full reading was prevented were excluded. With the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 110 articles were included in the study. Results: Clinical presentation depends on the location, volume of the hematoma, rapid growth, the location of the CSDH, whether unilateral or bilateral, and the clinical conditions of the patient. Because the forms of clinical presentation of CSDH are variable, it is necessary that health professionals linked to the elderly (geriatrician, psychiatrist, general practitioner) have knowledge of this clinical entity. Conclusions: The recognition of classic forms as well as the identification of risk factors in the elderly favors the timely diagnosis and treatment of CSDH in the elderly population.

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Suicide and Aging in Japan: An Examination of Treated Elderly Suicide Attempters

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610295002006 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 239-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Yoshitomo Takahashi ◽

Hideto Hirasawa ◽

Keiko Koyama ◽

Osamu Asakawa ◽

Matazo Kido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Total Population ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

The Elderly ◽

The Public ◽

Geriatric Hospital ◽

Elderly Japanese ◽

Elderly Suicide

Although individuals aged 65 and over accounted for 12% of the total population of Japan in 1990, suicides in this age group consisted of 29% of all suicides. The elderly population of Japan is expected to grow rapidly to 24% of the total population by the year 2020, and suicide prevention for the elderly is an urgent mental health problem. Among a total of 1,216 elderly patients who were admitted to the Department of Psychiatry at Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital between April 1980 and March 1990, 50 were hospitalized immediately after suicide attempts in order to study their psychosociomedical problems. Because early diagnosis of depression and initiation of proper treatment are indispensable—even if patients do not show obvious depressive symptoms—those who develop persistent somatization and/or delirium should be considered highly suicidal and given special attention. With the cooperation of mental health professionals, it is necessary to educate general practitioners, the public, and the elderly themselves about characteristics of psychiatric disorders and various problems associated with aging. Further research on other elderly Japanese populations, as well as research that examines suicide completion, is needed to confirm the findings of the present study.

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New Horizons for Mental Health Care in the Elderly Population

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852900008683 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 702-702

Author(s):

Mark D. Miller

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

New Horizons

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Self-Reported Food Insecurity and Depression among the Older Population in South Africa

Psych ◽

10.3390/psych2010004 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 34-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ghose Bishwajit ◽

Komlan Kota ◽

Amos Buh ◽

Sanni Yaya

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

South Africa ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Elderly Population ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Explanatory Variables ◽

Multivariable Regression

South Africa represents one of the most rapidly aging countries in sub-Saharan Africa with a rising burden of age-related psychological morbidities. Despite having one of the highest human development scores in the region, the country faces serious poverty and food insecurity related challenges. Previous studies have shown a positive association between food insecurity and poor mental health among the adult population, however there is no systematic evidence on this association among the elderly population in an African setting. In the present study, we aimed to address this research gap by analyzing cross-sectional data (n = 931) on the over-50 population (>50 years) from the SAGE (Study on global AGEing and adult health) Well-Being of Older People Study (WOPS) of the World Health Organization, conducted between 2010 and 2013. The outcome variable was perceived depression and the explanatory variables included several sociodemographic factors including self-reported food insecurity. The independent associations between the outcome and explanatory variables were measured using multivariable regression analysis. Results showed that close to a quarter of the population (22.6%, 95% CI = 21.4, 24.7) reported having depression in the last 12 months, with the percentage being markedly higher among women (71.4%). In the multivariable regression analysis, self-reported food insecurity was found to be the strongest predictor of depression among both sexes. For instance, severe food insecurity increased the odds of depression by 4.805 [3.325, 7.911] times among men and by 4.115 [2.030, 8.341] times among women. Based on the present findings, it is suggested that national food security programs focus on promoting food security among the elderly population in an effort to improve their mental health status. Nonetheless, the data were cross-sectional and the associations can’t imply causality.

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Long-term urban air pollution exposures and chronic kidney disease in the elderly population in Taiwan

ISEE Conference Abstracts ◽

10.1289/isee.2016.2998 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Szu-Ying Chen* ◽

Da-Chen Chu ◽

Jui-Huan Lee ◽

YA-RU YANG ◽

Chang-Chuan Chan

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Urban Air Pollution ◽

The Elderly ◽

Urban Air

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Infection and Fever in the Elderly

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association ◽

10.7547/87507315-94-2-126 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 126-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Patricia A. Cristofaro

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

The Elderly ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Suspected Infection ◽

Frequent Use ◽

Clinical Signs And Symptoms ◽

Testing Patterns

The elderly make more frequent use of general podiatric medical services than the younger population. It is therefore important for podiatric physicians to become familiar with the general principles of infectious disease as applied to an elderly population, which is susceptible to a wider spectrum of disease with more subtle and unusual clinical signs and symptoms. This article reviews the diagnosis and evaluation of suspected infection, appropriate laboratory testing, patterns of specific infectious disease syndromes, and antibiotic use in the elderly. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 94(2): 126-134, 2004)

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