Impacto psicológico de la COVID 19 en población mayor de un área de salud de Gran Canaria

Abstract

Objective: to assess the psychological impact experienced by the elderly population of a basic health area in Gran Canaria (Spain), associated with the lockdown implemented on the occasion of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: a cross-sectional study (November 2021-March 2022). Simple random sample of adults who were 65 years old or older, users of the Telde-San Gregorio basic health area (Gran Canaria, Spain). Telephone surveys were conducted with the Questionnaire on the Psychological Impact of Coronavirus adapted by Sandín et al. (2020). Descriptive analysis with the SPSS statistical program, version 18.Results: the survey included 178 elderly persons (mean age: 74.62 years). Of these, 62.9% (n= 112) was autonomous; 55.1% (n= 98) was in a stable situation according to chronicity classification; 28.1% (n= 50) lived alone; 10.7% (n= 19) had presented COVID-19 symptoms; 84.8% (n= 151) declared that they had not experienced major changes in their routine. The fear to infect a relative/loved one prevailed in 50.6% (n= 90) of elderly persons; 57.9% (n= 103) did not feel any fear/anxiety regarding coronavirus; 55.6% (n= 99) reported not feeling sadness / depression; 6.2% (n= 11) of elderly persons felt lonely / isolated, and 51.1% (n= 91) reported that they had felt upset for not being able to see some of the relatives they usually saw.Conclusions: lockdown did not cause major changes in the routines of participants. There was a high level of compliance with preventive behaviours. More than half of the respondents expressed being very afraid that a relative would get infected. Lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a certain degree of psychological impact on the health of this age group