Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older adults and its association with cognition, mood, and quality of life

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted people's lives, including social interactions, physical and mental health, and the use of technology. This impact may endure even after the vaccination, especially in more vulnerable populations such as older adults. Here, we measured the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We used a questionnaire comprising: living arrangements, physical health, information about the pandemic, behaviors adopted in the face of pandemic-related restrictions, financial situation, mental health, and changes in life activities. We primarily asked if the impact would be associated with demographics, cognition, depression/anxiety, and/or quality of life. Secondarily, we wondered whether the pandemic impact would differ between participants assessed before and after the vaccination. In cognitively healthy older adults, a higher pandemic impact was associated with worse cognitive performance and quality of life and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. In older adults with MCI, higher pandemic impact was associated with increased depressive symptoms. Only healthy older adults had significantly lower pandemic impact scores after vaccination. We conclude that the perceived pandemic impact on older adults was associated with cognition, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Since the effect of vaccination on decreasing the perceived pandemic impact was not observed in older adults with MCI, interventions to reduce the pandemic impact on this population should be developed and recommended even after the vaccination.