Relationship Between Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 and Loneliness in Patients With Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study From Iran.

OBJECTIVES

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people all around the world, the elderly is at a higher risk of suffering from its consequences. One of the serious concerns is developing loneliness and post-traumatic stress symptoms, which may contribute to cognitive decline at older ages. This study aimed to examine the psychological responses and loneliness in elderly patients diagnosed with dementia.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients diagnosed with dementia, with ages older than 40, and 19 caregivers were enrolled in the study. The patients have undergone a comprehensive neuropsychiatric interview and were assessed with De Jong Gierveld Scale for loneliness and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). The severity of dementia was assessed by Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST Scale) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

RESULTS

No significant difference was seen in patients and caregivers in the IES-R and loneliness scales. A higher level of avoidance and social and total loneliness were seen in higher FAST levels (-value: 0.046). There was a negatively significant correlation between MoCA score and avoidance. Hyperarousal was significantly correlated with emotional loneliness in patients.

CONCLUSION

We found a direct relationship between cognitive decline and the psychological impacts of COVID-19. Our results highlight the need for more comprehensive studies to further investigate the influence of the pandemic on the worsening of cognitive impairment and loneliness in patients with dementia.