Psychological Impacts of Covid-19 Crisis on Mental Health Status of Elderly: A Narrative Review

The occurrence of psychological disorders and the reduction of the use of coping strategies following epidemic conditions are among the psychological effects of the Covid-19 crisis. It is important to diagnose mental health status and the incidence of psychological disorders in the elderly during the Covid-19 epidemic; finally, this study reviews research in the field of Psychological Impacts of Covid-19 Crisis on Mental Health Status of Elderly.

This article is a review study that uses data collection from library resources and searches in PubMed, Science Direct, Magiran, SID, CINAHL databases and using Google Scholar search enginer with Covid-19, Corona virus, mental health, elderly keywords and its Latin equivalent were performed in the period 2019-2011, 10 related articles were extracted and analyzed.

A review of studies showed that older people with psychological symptoms are vulnerable to Covid-19 crisis. This group is at risk of physical and psychological damage if they suffer from cognitive disorders such as dementia due to quarantine conditions. The most commonly reported mental disorders were feelings of loneliness, isolation, mood disorders, feelings of worry, anxiety, and depression. It also affects the psychological well-being of the elderly.

Discussion and Conclusion:

According to the results of this study; Older people are more at risk for Covid-19 due to their physical condition than other age groups. In this situation, the elderly are psychologically vulnerable. This can lead to mental disorders in the elderly. Therefore, care for psychological support of this age group is one of the basic principles in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic.