Psychological impact of social isolation amongst older adults during COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to summarise the psychological impact of socially isolated older adults during COVID-19 and explore the online interventions to combat social isolation and their limitations. Background: Older adults who live alone at home, in nursing homes or have preexisting mental illnesses are vulnerable to the effects of social distancing measures implemented during COVID-19. Older adults generally experience difficulty accessing the internet and hence end up living in permanent isolation. Overtime, these older adults experience feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Methods: A systematic search was performed in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. A hand search of the reference lists of included papers and on WHO publications were performed. Grey literature search was carried out from Scopus, ProQuest Dissertation and Google Scholar. Data from selected studies were extracted independently and analysed thematically. Results were presented in a descriptive manner and organised into categories and themes. Results: Three major themes and eight sub-themes emerged: 1) Experiences and emotions of older adults during social distancing measures 2) Online interventions to combat social isolation 3) Barriers to online intervention Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has taken an emotional toll on older adults’ psychological wellbeing and has highlighted the untapped strengths of older adults facing isolation. Online interventions were beneficial in combating social isolation. Strategies that could be implemented by various stakeholders in society were recommended to tackle the barriers of online interventions. Significance of the review: The COVID-19 pandemic is still in progress, hence a timely understanding of the psychological status amongst the affected older adults is necessary to contribute to a better support system for older adults during this crisis.