Ella Cohn-Schwartz1, Yaakov Hoffman2, Amit Shrira2. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheba, Israel. Electronic address: ellasch@bgu.ac.il. 2. The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To explore the extent that pre-COVID-19 comorbid PTSD-depression symptoms prospectively predict mental distress among older adults during COVID-19. METHODS: We used the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel), and focused on older adults who participated in 2015 and 2020 and were aged 60 years old or above in 2020 (N = 754). Mental distress was measured via symptoms of depression, feeling anxious\nervous, and loneliness. RESULTS: Older adults who suffered from PTSD-depression comorbidity prior to the pandemic showed the highest risk of feeling more depressed, anxious\nervous, and lonelier than those with no pre-pandemic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that it would be beneficial to prioritize those older adults with a comorbid PTSD-depression diagnosis for interventions, as they are at the highest risk for mental distress in the event of a new stressor.
OBJECTIVES: To explore the extent that pre-COVID-19 comorbid PTSD-depression symptoms prospectively predict mental distress among older adults during COVID-19. METHODS: We used the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel), and focused on older adults who participated in 2015 and 2020 and were aged 60 years old or above in 2020 (N = 754). Mental distress was measured via symptoms of depression, feeling anxious\nervous, and loneliness. RESULTS: Older adults who suffered from PTSD-depression comorbidity prior to the pandemic showed the highest risk of feeling more depressed, anxious\nervous, and lonelier than those with no pre-pandemic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that it would be beneficial to prioritize those older adults with a comorbid PTSD-depression diagnosis for interventions, as they are at the highest risk for mental distress in the event of a new stressor.
Authors: M J Prince; F Reischies; A T Beekman; R Fuhrer; C Jonker; S L Kivela; B A Lawlor; A Lobo; H Magnusson; M Fichter; H van Oyen; M Roelands; I Skoog; C Turrina; J R Copeland Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 1999-04 Impact factor: 9.319