Saúde mental de pessoas idosas frente a pandemia de Covid-19: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

Introduction. Elderly people, especially the longest-lived, comprise the highest risk group for COVID-19, due to their greater susceptibility to develop the most severe form of the disease and because they have a high association with chronic diseases (WU, 2020). Social isolation significantly changed the environment and routine of elderly people, who experienced an incalculable degree of loneliness, becoming more prone to mental disorders (D'CRUZ; BANERJEE, 2020). Objective. To describe the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of the elderly population, according to current scientific evidence, published from 2019 to March 2022. Methodology. Narrative literature review, which consists of the analysis of literature published in books, printed and/or electronic magazine articles in the interpretation and personal critical analysis of the author. It aims to map knowledge about a broad issue through literature analysis (ROTHER, 2007; MARTINS, 2018). Full articles published in the Virtual Health Library/Nursing Database (BVS/BDENF); Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS); PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar. Results and Discussion. 28 articles were found and after applying the inclusion and exclusion filters, 04 publications were included. It was found that the emotional impact and mental health of elderly people in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic was important and the studies highlighted the emotional and psychological effects, the need and importance of developing educational health strategies to reinforce preventive measures. to infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the impacts of social isolation on the mental health of the elderly. Commitments generated by COVID-19 in relation to the mental health of the elderly were observed, directly related to the negative effects caused by social isolation and the fear of contamination by the virus. Final considerations. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of elderly people, emphasized the increase in anxiety, depression, stress and fear of death, being potentially harmful to the quality of life of elderly people. Although the Health System has adopted measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, many developments in the mental health of the elderly were inevitable and still require special attention from public managers and essential health care.