. Avinash Chakrawarty; . Piyush Ranjan; . Kamal Bandhu Klanidhi; . Divjyot Kaur; . Siddharth Sarkar; . Anamika Sahu; . M. Bhavesh; . Upendra Baitha; . Arvind Kumar; . Naveet Wig
Volume 11, Issue 6 , July 2021, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
BACKGROUND: COVID‑19 may seem to have an impact on middle‑aged and elderly people.However, not much is known about the lived experiences of middle‑aged and elderly people duringthis ...
Read More
BACKGROUND: COVID‑19 may seem to have an impact on middle‑aged and elderly people.However, not much is known about the lived experiences of middle‑aged and elderly people duringthis pandemic. The study aims to explore psychosocial and behavioral impact of COVID‑19 on thelives of these individuals.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three focus group discussions and seven in‑depth interviews wereconducted. A format to guide discussions and interviews was made to bring uniformity across groupsand participants. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling techniques.Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis method was used to extractkey conceptual themes.RESULTS: There were 12 male and 10 female participants included, with a mean age of62.2 years. Five subcategories identified were: Fear and anxiety, household confinement, lifestylemodification, preventive practices, and coping strategies. These sub‑categories formed three majorcategories‑psychological, social, and behavioral which ultimately led to the emergence of the maintheme that is, COVID‑19 effects on the life of middle‑aged and older individuals.CONCLUSION: Middle‑aged and elderly people are affected in many ways due to COVID‑19.Addressing the psycho‑social and behavioral problems can help in the better adjustment to tideover the pandemic.