The impact of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with dementia and caregivers

Abstract

Objective: Social distancing to limit COVID-19 transmission has led to extensive lifestyle changes, including for people with dementia (PWD). The aim of this study, therefore, was to assess the impact of lockdown on the mental health of PWD and their carers. Methods: Forty-five carers of PWD completed a telephone interview during the baseline assessment of the SOLITUDE study to gather information on life conditions and changes in symptoms of PWD during lockdown. Associations between changes in symptoms of PWD and carers’ concerns and mental health were investigated. Results: About 44% of carers experienced anxiety and irritability and reported changes in behavioural and cognitive symptoms in PWD. These changes were associated with worse carers’ mental health and concerns about faster disease progression (χ2 = 13.542, p < 0.001). Conclusion: COVID-19-related social isolation has had a negative impact on patients’ and carers’ mental health. Potential long-term neurocognitive consequences require further investigation.

The Impact of Social Isolation Due to COVID-19 on Symptom Progression in People With Dementia: Findings of the SOLITUDE Study

“…This interview included questions on patients, living conditions and socialisation before lockdown, carers’ personal mental health problems experienced and help received during lockdown, as well as carer-reported changes in PWD’s symptoms during lockdown (up to T0). Findings from the carer semi-structured interview have already been reported in Manca et al ( 26 ). For the purpose of this study, only carer-reported changes in existing neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms, the emergence of new neuropsychiatric symptoms and carers’ concerns about progression of dementia were considered, among the variables collected as part of this customised interview, as predictors of all of the outcome measures.…”

“…Demographic and clinical characteristics of all PWD and carers are reported in Table 1 . The majority of patients received a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and the carer was their spouse/partner in most cases [for more details on our sample see ( 26 )].…”

“…The recruitment process, as already reported in a previous study ( 26 ), involved an initial screening of eligible candidates who were first contacted by a clinician and provided with the study’s information sheet. No longer than 1 week since receipt of the information material, all people (both PWD and carers) willing to take part in the study provided their audio-recorded informed consent over the telephone.…”

“…Indeed, so far most investigations have only used screening measures for global cognitive decline (e.g., Mini Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and/or assessed patients’ cognitive performance only once, a few weeks after the introduction of social isolation measures. The SOcial LImitations Turn Up DEmentia (SOLITUDE) ( 24 , 25 ) study was set up as a multi-centre observational longitudinal study to investigate these issues in the longer term, to document changes in cognitive performance, mental health and quality of life of PWD and to assess burden of their carers over 6 months since the first lockdown was enforced in the UK [for details of the full protocol see ( 26 )].…”

Loneliness and social isolation among informal carers of individuals with dementia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…The mean age of the care recipients ranged from 70.0 to 81.4 years. 29,35 Five studies reported on informal carers of individuals with mild, moderate, or severe dementia (see Table 1). 8,17,18,32,41…”