Relationship Between Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 and Loneliness in Patients With Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study From Iran

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Niayesh Mohebbi¹  Mahya Rezaee¹  Arash Kalantar¹  Mahtab Motamed²  Fatemeh Mohammadian² 

[1] Clinical Pharmacy Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;Psychiatry Department, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;

关键词: COVID-19;    dementia;    loneliness [source: MeSH];    pandemic;    psychological distress;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2022.814676

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ObjectivesAlthough the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people all around the world, the elderly is at a higher risk of suffering from its consequences. One of the serious concerns is developing loneliness and post-traumatic stress symptoms, which may contribute to cognitive decline at older ages. This study aimed to examine the psychological responses and loneliness in elderly patients diagnosed with dementia.MethodsTwenty-one patients diagnosed with dementia, with ages older than 40, and 19 caregivers were enrolled in the study. The patients have undergone a comprehensive neuropsychiatric interview and were assessed with De Jong Gierveld Scale for loneliness and Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R). The severity of dementia was assessed by Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST Scale) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).ResultsNo significant difference was seen in patients and caregivers in the IES-R and loneliness scales. A higher level of avoidance and social and total loneliness were seen in higher FAST levels (p-value: 0.046). There was a negatively significant correlation between MoCA score and avoidance. Hyperarousal was significantly correlated with emotional loneliness in patients.ConclusionWe found a direct relationship between cognitive decline and the psychological impacts of COVID-19. Our results highlight the need for more comprehensive studies to further investigate the influence of the pandemic on the worsening of cognitive impairment and loneliness in patients with dementia.

【 授权许可】

Unknown