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Mental health impacts of social isolation in older people during COVID pandemic
Author(s) -
Vrach Ilona Tappenden,
Tomar Rahul
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
progress in neurology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.19
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1931-227X
pISSN - 1367-7543
DOI - 10.1002/pnp.684
Subject(s) - loneliness , social isolation , social distance , pandemic , isolation (microbiology) , mental health , covid-19 , china , psychology , psychiatry , medicine , virology , geography , biology , disease , outbreak , archaeology , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , microbiology and biotechnology
Even before the COVID‐19 pandemic, social isolation and loneliness were so prevalent in Europe, the USA and China, that commentators have termed the growing problem a ‘behavioural epidemic’. Here, Dr Tappenden and Dr Tomar review the literature on the mental health consequences of social isolation during epidemics, including COVID‐19, focussing particularly on the mental health of older people and how this group can stay well while socially distancing.