The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Nov 2020
COVID-19, Psychological Well-being and Physical Activity Levels in Older Adults During the Nationwide Lockdown in Spain.
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has forced nationwide lockdowns in many countries. As a result, most of the Spanish population had to self-isolate at home. The physical and psychological consequences of this unexpected scenario could be particularly worrisome for people older than 60 years. This study is aimed to examine the psychological well-being of older adults during the home isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate whether meeting the World Health Organization's global recommendations on physical activity (PA) for health is associated with their resilience, affect, and depressive symptoms. ⋯ These finding are the first quantitative evidence pointing toward a link between engagement in VPA and/or MVPA and resilience, positive affect, and depressive symptoms within the COVID-19 restrictions in Spain. Acknowledging these associations may be important in developing health promotion programs for older people during the remaining period of confinement or future ones.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Oct 2020
Mental Health in Elderly Spanish People in Times of COVID-19 Outbreak.
We aim to assess COVID-19 outbreak-related emotional symptoms, identify gender differences, and study the relationship between the emotional state and environmental features in the elderly. ⋯ Older people have shown less emotional distress, with no differences between men and women. Economic loss and substance use should be monitored to guarantee the emotional well-being of the elderly.
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In few periods in human history have bereavement and grief been on so many people's minds as they are today. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ravages the world, we have seen many perish in a short time. Many have died alone because of requirements for physical distancing. ⋯ Among other mental health problems, we will likely see an increase in prolonged grief disorder. In this commentary, we review the new diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder and outline why we might anticipate increased rates of this condition on the heels of COVID-19, especially among older persons. The authors suggest ways that might mitigate this emerging problem.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Sep 2020
Combating Heightened Social Isolation of Nursing Home Elders: The Telephone Outreach in the COVID-19 Outbreak Program.
Social isolation and loneliness-common concerns in older adults-are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address social isolation in nursing home residents, the Yale School of Medicine Geriatrics Student Interest Group initiated a Telephone Outreach in the COVID-19 Outbreak (TOCO) Program that implements weekly phone calls with student volunteers. ⋯ The TOCO program achieved initial success and promotes the social wellbeing of nursing home residents. We hope to continue this program beyond the COVID-19 pandemic in order to address this persistent need in a notably vulnerable patient population.
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Sep 2020
EditorialTelehealth in Psychiatry of Old Age: Ordinary Care in Extraordinary Times in Rural North-West Ireland.
The COVID-19 pandemic has required a rapid evolution of services to maintain routine care in Ireland. Services which had been previously slow to adapt technology in their practices are suddenly integrating various telehealth measures to continue routine practice where possible. In this article, we discuss the challenges we face in rapidly implementing telehealth in a rural Psychiatry of Old Age service in the North-West of Ireland.