Anxiety and depression in the elderly due to COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: The elderly are a vulnerable section of the population who are prone to physical, mental, social, and economic deprivation. The effect of COVID-19 had a worldwide impact on all age groups, with a particularly higher mortality and morbidity rate among the elderly population. The present study was undertaken to know about the psychological morbidity in the geriatric population during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was cross-sectional and was done through a telephonic survey. Eligible elderly subjects were contacted telephonically, and the Geriatric Anxiety Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale were administered. To evaluate the functional ability of elderly subjects, the Everyday Abilities Scale for India (EASI) scale was administered. For the telephonic survey, verbal consent was sought. RESULTS: A total of 92 elderly subjects were included. Male outnumbered the females with a ratio of 1.8:1. Spouse and children were primary caregivers in 83.7% of the subjects. 90.2% were married, and 66.3% had earned a graduate/professional level of education. Chronic illness was present in 50% of subjects. The most common co-morbidities were hypertension (27.2%) and diabetes (21.7%). The proportion of elderly with anxiety and depression was 8.7% and 15.2% respectively. CONCLUSION: The elderly showed lower levels of anxiety and depression. Higher resilience among the elderly and good family support may be the reasons for such an unexpected finding. However, more studies are required to validate the findings of the current study.