Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Oldest-Old Population and the Role of Psychosocial Factors

Einleitung Since the oldest-old population was identified as a high-risk group for a severe course of the coronavirus disease and higher mortality, potentially high psychological burden was assumed. The aim of the study is to analyze the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic and psychosocial factors associated with these outcomes.

Methoden We assessed data of n=135 participants aged 78 to 97 years at three points of measurement from May-June 2020, from March-May 2021and from November 2021-January 2022. Sociodemographics, worries about the virus, living situation, social support, resilience, anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed. We calculated multilevel mixed-effects generalized linear models with a negative binominal distribution.

Ergebnisse While there is an increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms in the investigated oldest-old individuals in Germany from 2020 to 2021, there is no further increase in symptomatology from 2021 to 2022. Higher age was associated with higher anxiety and higher perceived social support was associated with both, lower depressive and lower anxiety symptoms. More worries about the virus were associated with higher anxiety levels. Higher resilience was associated with lower depressive symptomatology.

Schlussfolgerung The oldest-old population seems to show rather stable mental health after a slight increase in symptomatology within the first year of the pandemic. Social support may illustrate an important factor to target in mental health prevention programs for oldest-old individuals in times of future crises such as the pandemic.

Publication History

Article published online:
22 August 2023