An insight into the elderly mind during COVID-19 pandemic: World Mental Health Day 2020

Abstract

About one third of the elderly suffer from mental illness due to psychosocial issues such as loss of spouse, social and financial insecurity, low support from families, inadequate nutrition, uncontrolled hypertension, impaired vision, deafness, and arthritis. Psychological stress can have harmful impact on the immune system, making the elderly more susceptible to SARS-Co-V2. Stigma associated with the disease, risk of developing complications during the course of the disease and relatively high mortality rates put the elderly under immense stress. The older population though knowledgeable are ignorant of their own health. The prevalent COVID-19 pandemic imposes more challenges to the elderly population which demands a holistic approach directed to meticulous solutions.

Keywords

• covid-19
• elderly care
• geriatrics
• mental health
• pandemic