The Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 among the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine 2021-11, Vol.10 (23), p.5537
• Main Authors: Agrawal, Siddarth, Dróżdż, Mateusz, Makuch, Sebastian, Pietraszek, Alicja, Sobieszczańska, Małgorzata, Mazur, Grzegorz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Aged patients; Analysis; Care and treatment; Chronic illnesses; Clinical medicine; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cross-sectional studies; Epidemics; Fear; Health aspects; Mental health; Older people; Poland; Psychological aspects; Well being
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm10235537

The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the mental health and well-being of individuals. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19 among older adults in Poland and identify subpopulations with the highest risk of potential mental health disorders. The study was conducted in November–December 2020 on 500 people aged ≥60 years (mean M = 67.9, standard deviation SD = 4.2). In order to collect information on participants’ characteristics and COVID-19-related information, they were asked to complete a questionnaire based on recorded telephone calls. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), which ranges from 7 to 35. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with the perceived fear of COVID-19. Our results showed that the highest level of fear of COVID-19 infection was observed among women (p = 0.025) and patients taking anticoagulants (p = 0.004). Moreover, older adults with higher anxiety levels were more likely to be fearful of COVID-19 (according to the GAS-10 scale; p < 0.001). These findings may help policy makers and healthcare workers to adapt and implement better mental health strategies to help the elderly fight fear and anxiety during the prevailing pandemic.