Prevalence and Predictors of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Elderly in the aftermath of COVID-19: A Quantitative Study from Central India

Abstract

Background Elderly persons have been more prone to depression, anxiety and stress during COVID−19 pandemic. They need more care and support towards mental health during these difficult times. Methodology This was a cross−sectional and quantitative study conducted in the state of Madhya Pradesh, during the month of March 2021 to August 2021. Participants were recruited from a population aged more than 60 years, those who were able to read and write Hindi or English or having at least one family member; reporting to a tertiary care teaching hospital during the second wave of COVID−19 in India. Those who were confirmed COVID−19 cases & undergoing treatment, with diagnosed mental health disorders and who didnot give consent were excluded. A semi−structured questionnaire along with DASS−21 scale was completed by participants online. Results Out of 690 subjects, 7·25 percent had mild and moderate depression, 0·58percent had severe and extremely severe depression. Mild and moderate anxiety symptoms were reported by 9·56percent, 2·46percent reported severe and extremely severe anxiety. Mild and moderate stress was reported by 4·78percent, while 0·42percent were severely and extremely stressed. A positive statistical association was found between alcohol addiction and depression (p=0·028). The elderly subjects had a nap the day time were significantly less depressed during COVID−19 pandemic (p=0·033). It was found that older the subjects, more were they anxious during the pandemic (p=0·042). An association was found between alcohol addiction and stress (p=0·043). Conclusions Depressive symptoms in participants were positively correlated with alcohol addiction. Females reported higher level of stress. There is a felt need to formulate psychological interventions for elderly to improve their mental health and psychological resilience. We need to tackle and fight the stigma, fear and anxiety related to the COVID−19, which is greater than disease itself.

Stress and Coping Among Elderly During The COVID-19 Pandemic in Sulaimanya City in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

“…A 4 year longitudinal study indicted the same result which showed that activity among elders can predicts a 2 year reduction of stress and 4 year reduction of physical symptoms [27]. Illiterate group reported higher stress level than both elementary and secondary literacy groups, this result is inconsistent with what Malhotra and friends found in their study, who showed that the elderly with higher education level (literacy) have higher stress level during the viral pandemic [28].This inconsistency between these studies may attribute to the differences between the role of media and scientific sources in dealing with the pandemic; the only source of illiterate people for getting information about COVID-19 was the broadcast media or internet videos instead of print media, like magazines and newspapers. The current study also found that elders without any chronic illness show lower level of stress; this result is exactly congruent what have been found in another previous study [29].…”

Yoga as an Escape from Depreciating Mental Health due to COVID 19: A Qualitative study analyzing the factors associated with mental status based on the experiences of geriatric population's participation in an Online program during COVID 19 lockdown in India

“…A qualitative study was conducted as a component of a larger mixed methods study, of which the quantitative study has been published elsewhere. [ 24 ] The study conducted involved the baseline assessment of the mental status of the geriatric population due to COVID-19 and its lockdown in India using a DASS Scale in a tertiary care centre in Central India. The screened participants who had stress, anxiety or depression were asked to practice yoga-meditation using a mobile application.…”