The fear of COVID-19 infection was the most prevalent factor that contributed to the rising mental health concerns among seniors
Over 57% seniors faced mental health issues during COVID-19, finds survey. Representational image/ PTI
New Delhi: COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc. The past two years were not merely difficult; they also saw many lose closed ones. Senior citizens and those with co-morbidities suffered the most in the coronavirus waves that swept across India and the world.
Along with severe health ailments, the aged also witnessed mental and emotional problems during the coronavirus pandemic. A ‘State of Seniors survey’ by Antara covering over 2,100 elders aged 60 and above shows that a staggering 57 per cent of seniors faced mental health issues during COVID-19.
Giving an insight into the lives, opinions, preferences and consumer behaviour traits of senior citizens in urban India, the second edition of the Survey also came to the conclusion that the number of seniors who felt the government managed the pandemic well rose to 53 per cent in 2022.
COVID-19: Senior and mental health issues
The survey found 70 per cent seniors didn’t have access to proper healthcare, while over 57 per cent of them faced mental health issues. With 81 per cent, Mumbai had the highest in seniors facing such problems, followed by Bengaluru and Pune with 70 per cent, Delhi with 64 per cent and Jaipur with 51 per cent.
Hyderabad was an exception with 94 per cent seniors not facing any mental health issue.
There is no denying that the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown had the world struggling to keep up with the new normal, adding strain to the already vulnerable senior population.
“In addition to the worries about their safety, access to basic healthcare facilities, groceries, medicines, among others, was strained, especially during the second wave, seniors experienced more mental health problems such as depression and health-related anxiety,” the survey said.
Fear among seniors amid COVID-19
With more number of people getting infected, hospitalised and many succumbing due the deadly virus, fear was inevitable among people.
The fear of infection was the most prevalent and the pivotal factor that contributed to the rising mental health concerns among the seniors, with 65 per cent of them facing trauma.
With 58 per cent, social isolation followed fear of infection among seniors. About 53 per cent feared anxiety due to COVID-19, the survey found concluded.
Social isolation and loneliness are now largely being recognised as a priority public health problem and policy issue for seniors. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) is recognising these mental health concerns as an essential.
Concerns of seniors post-COVID-19 pandemic
The key concerns for seniors in the post-pandemic world, according to the survey, is avoiding serious ailments and maintaining health.
Around 72 per cent of seniors opted to pursue a self-monitored balanced diet while 55 per cent relied on home remedies instead of seeking professional help.
Seniors satisfied by Indian government’s handling of COVID-19 pandemic
It can be recalled that though poised by bigger challenges, the Indian government managed the COVID-19 pandemic efficiently. A slew of measures was introduced by the Centre to counter the struggling economy of the country.
Policy measures including Rs 20-trillion support package, with the specific objective to support the availability of credit to SMEs and micro-enterprises and setting up a fund of funds of Rs 500 billion with a Rs-100 billion corpus to provide equity funding for firms with growth potential put the country on the road of economic revival.
It is worth mentioning that the government pushed for aggressive vaccination in the country as indigenous vaccines such as Covaxin and Covishield made rapid advancements in their research and development.
All these measures changed the perception of the people of the country, including the seniors. The number of seniors who felt the government managed the pandemic well rose from 23 per cent (observed in the first edition of Antara’s survey) to 59 per cent in 2022.
The relief provided by the government in form of policy measures and financial assistance helped change the perception among the seniors, 56 per cent of whom believed the government grants they received worked for the cause.
Also, a whopping 90 per cent of the respondents from Hyderabad considered the government grants to be adequate for the COVID-19 relief.
How and where COVID-19 survey on seniors was conducted?
The survey was conducted across urban India, with a focus on the North (Delhi and the National Capital Region [NCR], Jaipur), the West (Mumbai and Pune), and the South (Bengaluru and Hyderabad), with a Random Sampling methodology.
The survey found that 64 percent volunteers welcome the idea of allied health care services in India through assisted living facilities. Of this 44 per cent say they prefer such facilities as it gives them the opportunity to live with like-minded people, while 24 per cent believe opting for such a facility will ensure their health care needs are met.
The survey, however, found that the lack of awareness and existence of such affordable facilities are the biggest concerns.
“Today, the senior population in India has evolving needs and aspirations. They want to be active contributors to the economy, lead a life with dignity, and become more independent,” Rajit Mehta, MD and CEO, Antara said:
He went on to add that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about notable shifts in their living patterns and preferences, consumption of technology, along with rise in mental health concerns.
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