Loneliness and its connection with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders in Cuban elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

Keywords:

COVID-19, elderly people, social distancing, loneliness, mental health

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 has increased social distancing and the isolation of elderly people, which brings adverse effects to their physical and mental health. Objective: to study the influence of feelings of loneliness on Cuban elderly people's mental health (depression, anxiety and sleep disorders) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: Observational study of 585 65 year old people and older ones included in the Aging and Alzheimer Longitudinal Study. The interviews were conducted from October 1 to November 30, 2020, during phase 3 of pandemic recovery in Havana province. The geriatric mental state (GMS) was used to identify feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.
Results: Was found a high prevalence of feelings of loneliness (29,7 %), depression (37,9 %), anxiety (20,9 %), and insomnia (28,9 %). Loneliness increased the probability of depression, OR= 5,37 (IC 95 % from 3,66 to 7,89), anxiety 0R = 3,60 (IC 95 % from 2,38 to 5,46) and insomnia OR = 2,88 (IC 95 %; from 1,97 to 4,22), the connection remaining significantly in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions. Social distancing and restriction measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have brought negative consequences on elderly people's mental health and well-being. Further studies are necessary to identify risk factors and develop procedures to reduce the effects of social distancing on elderly people's mental health in situations like the pandemic and also in periods of normalcy.

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Author Biography

Juan de Jesús Llibre Rodriguez, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas Finlay Albarrán, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana.

Profesor Titular y Jefe del Grupo de Investigación de  Alzheimer dela Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana. Es fundador y Presidente de la Sección Cubana de enfermedad de Alzheimer desde 1996. Graduado de Doctor en Medicina en 1983 y de Especialista en Medicina Interna en 1987; ha recibido entrenamiento en Medicina Geriátrica, Deterioro Cognitivo y Demencias, Salud Mental y en Epidemiología. Concluyó  su  PhD enla Universidad Médica de la Habanaen 1998,  un Segundo Doctorado en Epidemiología en el Instituto de Psiquiatría, King College de Londres en 2012 y el grado superior de  Doctor en Ciencias,  en 2014.

Es miembro Titular de la Academia de Ciencias de Cuba.

El Dr. Llibre Rodríguez coordina varios estudios sobre salud mental y física en adultos mayores, incluido el estudio 10/66 y la Maestría  y el Diplomado Nacional en Demencias dela Universidad MedicadeLa Habana.

 

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Published

2021-09-12

How to Cite

Llibre Rodriguez, J. de J., Noriega Fernández, L., Guerra-Hernández, M. A., Zayas Llerena, T., Llibre Guerra, J. C., Alfonso Chomat, R. C., & Gutiérrez Herrera, R. (2021). Loneliness and its connection with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders in Cuban elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anales De La Academia De Ciencias De Cuba, 11(3), e1005. Retrieved from https://revistaccuba.sld.cu/index.php/revacc/article/view/1005

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 3 (2021): septiembre-diciembre

Section

Biomedical sciences

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