TY - JOUR
AU - Wong, Samual Yeung-shan
AU - Zhang, Dexing
AU - Sit, Regina Wing-shan
AU - Yip, Benjamin Hon-kei
AU - Chung, Roger Yat-nork
AU - Wong, Carmen Ka Man
AU - Chan, Dicken Cheong-Chun
AU - Sun, Wen
AU - Kwok, Kin-on
AU - Mercer, Stewart W.
PY - 2020
DA - September
TI - The Impact of COVID-19 on Loneliness, Mental Health, and Health Service Utilisation Among Older Adults with Multimorbidity in Primary Care: A Prospective Cohort Study
JO - British Journal of General Practice
EP - e824
VL - 70
IS - 700
DO - https://dx.doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X713021
AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the psychological health and health service utilization of older adults with multimorbidity, who are particularly vulnerable. Aim: Describe changes in loneliness, mental health problems, and attendance to scheduled medical care before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Design and setting: Telephone survey on a pre-existing cohort of older adults with multimorbidity in primary care. Method: Mental health and health service utilization outcomes were compared to the outcomes before the onset of COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong using paired t-tests, Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test, and McNemar’s test. Loneliness measured by De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Secondary outcomes: anxiety, depression, and insomnia, measured by 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Insomnia Severity Index. Appointments attendance data were extracted from a computerized medical record system. Socio-demographic factors associated with outcome changes were examined by linear regression and generalized estimating equations. Results: Data collected from 583 older adults. Significant increases in loneliness, anxiety, and insomnia, after onset of COVID-19 outbreak. Missed medical appointments over a 3-month period increased from 16.5% one year ago to 22.0% after onset of the outbreak. In adjusted analysis, female, living alone, and having more than four chronic conditions were independently associated with increased loneliness. Females were more likely to have increased anxiety and insomnia. Conclusion: Psychosocial health of older patients with multimorbidity markedly deteriorated and missed medical appointments substantially increased after COVID-19 outbreak.
PB - Royal College of General Practitioners
UR - https://publichealthscotland.scot/id/45619
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
KW - Mental health and wellbeing
KW - Older people
KW - Primary care
ER