Wyllians Vendramini Borelli1, Laura de Lima Xavier2,3, Felipe Ornell4,5, Jaqueline Bohrer Schuch4, Lisia Von Diemen4. 1. Neurology Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. 2. Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 4. Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. 5. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências Do Comportamento, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with mental health of older adults during the pandemic and to provide strategies to mitigate their psychosocial impact in the elderly. METHOD: An integrative text mining analysis in Medline was performed to identify studies on the mental health of older adults during the pandemic. Subsequently, statistical topic modeling was performed to identify the most prevalent terms and topics discussed in included studies. RESULTS: A total of 29 studies were retrieved until July 1st 2020, including a majority of letters (12 studies) and commentaries (8 studies). The most frequent terms overall were: loneliness (n = 137), support (n = 132), home (n = 102), suicide (n = 96) and help (n = 94). The most prevalent terms were then divided in five topics: home (33%), suicide (32%), apps (15%), loneliness (12%) and physical activity (9%). Additionally, a section focused on low- and middle-income countries was included. A summary of strategies to mitigate the effects of pandemic in mental health of older adults was also provided. CONCLUSION: These factors demonstrate the importance of developing strategies for psychosocial support that take into consideration the particularities of the elderly. Different levels of care are immediately necessary to diminish the devastating impact of the pandemic in the mental health of older adults.
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with mental health of older adults during the pandemic and to provide strategies to mitigate their psychosocial impact in the elderly. METHOD: An integrative text mining analysis in Medline was performed to identify studies on the mental health of older adults during the pandemic. Subsequently, statistical topic modeling was performed to identify the most prevalent terms and topics discussed in included studies. RESULTS: A total of 29 studies were retrieved until July 1st 2020, including a majority of letters (12 studies) and commentaries (8 studies). The most frequent terms overall were: loneliness (n = 137), support (n = 132), home (n = 102), suicide (n = 96) and help (n = 94). The most prevalent terms were then divided in five topics: home (33%), suicide (32%), apps (15%), loneliness (12%) and physical activity (9%). Additionally, a section focused on low- and middle-income countries was included. A summary of strategies to mitigate the effects of pandemic in mental health of older adults was also provided. CONCLUSION: These factors demonstrate the importance of developing strategies for psychosocial support that take into consideration the particularities of the elderly. Different levels of care are immediately necessary to diminish the devastating impact of the pandemic in the mental health of older adults.
Authors: Felipe Ornell; Wyllians Vendramini Borelli; Daniela Benzano; Jaqueline Bohrer Schuch; Helena Ferreira Moura; Anne Orgler Sordi; Felix Henrique Paim Kessler; Juliana Nichterwitz Scherer; Lisia von Diemen Journal: Lancet Reg Health Am Date: 2021-09-03