The Impact of COVID-19 in Older People in Portugal: Results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE)

Authors

  • Filipa Novais Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Hospital de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9379-1734
  • Catarina Cordeiro Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Hospital de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa.
  • Pedro Câmara Pestana Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Hospital de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa.
  • Beatriz Côrte-Real Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Hospital de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa.
  • Teresa Reynolds Sousa Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Hospital de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa.
  • Alice Delerue Matos Departamento de Sociologia. Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade do Minho. Braga.
  • Diogo Telles-Correia Departamento de Neurociências e Saúde Mental. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Hospital de Santa Maria. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Lisboa Norte. Lisboa. Departamento de Psiquiatria. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20344/amp.16209

Keywords:

Aged, COVID-19, Geriatric Assessment, Mental Health, Portugal SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Introduction: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, and Portugal reported its initial cases. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 on Portuguese individuals aged over 60 years old.
Material and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE 8: COVID-19 Survey). We selected a sample of 1080 noninstitutional Portuguese individuals aged ≥ 60 years.
Results: The study sample consisted of 605 (56%) women and 475 (44%) men, with a mean age of 70 ± 9.1 years. In total, 80% of the participants experienced higher levels of anxiety, 73% felt more depressed and 30% experienced additional sleep problems comparedto the period before the pandemic. Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences between the sexes or the two selected age groups (60 - 74 and over 75 years old) regarding the incidence of these changes. Only 23%, of those that were interviewed maintained their walking routines. In addition, only 8% of the participants continued visiting family members as frequently as before. While 8% of the participants were refused some form of medical treatment, 56% claimed that they experienced healthcare delays. However,only 15% of the participants reported that their health status worsened during the pandemic.
Discussion: The pandemic has had a significant impact on Portuguese individuals aged ≥ 60 years; which is in agreement with the findings of previous international studies. It changed the participants’ routines and increased their anxiety and depression levels. Despite the deterioration of healthcare services, most participants did not experience worsening of their health status.
Conclusion: In conclusion, a COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the elderly population, particularly regarding their mental health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

2021-11-02

How to Cite

1.
Novais F, Cordeiro C, Câmara Pestana P, Côrte-Real B, Reynolds Sousa T, Delerue Matos A, Telles-Correia D. The Impact of COVID-19 in Older People in Portugal: Results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE). Acta Med Port [Internet]. 2021 Nov. 2 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];34(11):761-6. Available from: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/16209

Issue

Section

Original