Although social distancing is crucial in thwarting the spread of COVID-19, isolation and the ensuing loneliness may be severely detrimental for older adults.
In a new study, researchers have linked COVID-19-based loneliness in older adults with more psychiatric symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms that immediately follow exposure to trauma.
The research was conducted by a team at Bar-Ilan University and the University of Haifa.
The study focused on older adults, a sector of the population at greater risk for COVID-19 health complications that likely remained in stricter self-isolation than other age groups due to this risk.
Notably, the researchers found that the effect of loneliness on psychiatric symptoms was most pronounced among participants who felt subjectively older than their chronological age.
On the other hand, participants who felt subjectively younger than their chronological age exhibited no psychiatric symptoms related to loneliness.
The team says the way older adults perceive old age and their own aging may be more important to their coping and wellbeing than their chronological age.
The findings may assist in identifying older adults at high risk for developing psychiatric symptoms due to COVID-19-related loneliness.
In addition, they can guide the development of suitable interventions aimed at lowering the perception of age in order to mitigate the negative impact of such loneliness and create a protective factor to prevent such a link.
The data should also be helpful in advancing preparatory measures for a future pandemic.
What can be done to relieve the emotional burden of isolation among the elderly?
The team recommends providing ongoing assistance and communication while adhering to relevant health guidelines.
Regular conversations with family members, volunteers, and even strangers can prevent the onset of deeper loneliness and the sense that no one is willing to hear their pain.
Allowing them to share their experience and wisdom helps them feel more valuable.
For those coping with feelings of boredom and emptiness during isolation, the team suggests that reading, listening to music, solving puzzles, cooking and baking, physical exercise (even the most minimal) and other leisure activities can refresh the normal, monotonous routine.
One author of the study is Prof. Amit Shrira, from the Gerontology Program at the Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences at Bar-Ilan University.
The study is published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
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