The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression
Introduction Depression, as a psychiatric entity, has a number of emotional components. These are mainly known among patients over the age of 65: sadness, physical and mental exhaustion, irritability, feeling of emptiness and loneliness. Objectives The main objective of this study is to detect i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821011330/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797616844536807424 |
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| author | I.D. Rădulescu F. Sarbu A. Ciubară |
| author_facet | I.D. Rădulescu F. Sarbu A. Ciubară |
| author_sort | I.D. Rădulescu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Depression, as a psychiatric entity, has a number of emotional components. These are mainly known among patients over the age of 65: sadness, physical and mental exhaustion, irritability, feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
Objectives
The main objective of this study is to detect if the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic over 65 years of age such as fear, excessive anxiety, lack of motivation, uncertainty and environmental changes, isolation (resulting in sleep disorders, appetite and attention) caused the exacerbation of depression.
Methods
This study included a total number of 126 patients, each over 65, hospitalized at the Psychiatric Hospital “Elisabeta Doamna” in Galati in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were diagnosed with depression, according to ICD-10 and the Hamilton scale.
Results
All data obtained were centralized and used to detect whether, in Galați, the lockdown impacted the number of admissions of people over 65, diagnosed with depression, with an average age of 68,62. There is an increased incidence of female patients (75%), thus reporting an odds ratio of 3:1. The incidence of cases reported during the months of presentation is as follows: January (24%), February (28.8%), March (14.4%), April (3.2%), May (5.6%), June (23.2%).
Conclusions
Environmental factors, unique in this situation, isolation, social distancing and changes in the daily routine, each associated with this global epidemiological crisis determinated a decrease of the number of depressive elderly admissions between March 15th and May 15th.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:47:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4870aebab03844c5915ea82958f54329 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:47:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-4870aebab03844c5915ea82958f543292023-11-17T05:07:27ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S425S42510.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1133The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depressionI.D. Rădulescu0F. Sarbu1A. Ciubară2Psychiatrist, “Elisabeta Doamna” Psychiatric Hospital, Galati, RomaniaCorresponding Author, Ph.d. Candidate, “Dunarea de Jos“ University, Galati, RomaniaMd, Ph.d., Hab. Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University “Dunarea de Jos” Head of Psychiatry Department, Senior Psychiatrist at ”Elisabeta Doamna” Hospital, Galati, Romania Introduction Depression, as a psychiatric entity, has a number of emotional components. These are mainly known among patients over the age of 65: sadness, physical and mental exhaustion, irritability, feeling of emptiness and loneliness. Objectives The main objective of this study is to detect if the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic over 65 years of age such as fear, excessive anxiety, lack of motivation, uncertainty and environmental changes, isolation (resulting in sleep disorders, appetite and attention) caused the exacerbation of depression. Methods This study included a total number of 126 patients, each over 65, hospitalized at the Psychiatric Hospital “Elisabeta Doamna” in Galati in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were diagnosed with depression, according to ICD-10 and the Hamilton scale. Results All data obtained were centralized and used to detect whether, in Galați, the lockdown impacted the number of admissions of people over 65, diagnosed with depression, with an average age of 68,62. There is an increased incidence of female patients (75%), thus reporting an odds ratio of 3:1. The incidence of cases reported during the months of presentation is as follows: January (24%), February (28.8%), March (14.4%), April (3.2%), May (5.6%), June (23.2%). Conclusions Environmental factors, unique in this situation, isolation, social distancing and changes in the daily routine, each associated with this global epidemiological crisis determinated a decrease of the number of depressive elderly admissions between March 15th and May 15th. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821011330/type/journal_articleElderlyDepressionpandemic |
| spellingShingle | I.D. Rădulescu F. Sarbu A. Ciubară The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression European Psychiatry Elderly Depression pandemic |
| title | The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression |
| title_full | The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression |
| title_fullStr | The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression |
| title_short | The effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression |
| title_sort | effects of the covid 19 pandemic on the elderly with depression |
| topic | Elderly Depression pandemic |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821011330/type/journal_article |
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