Prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Estimating the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among older adults with different health conditions can inform mental health services for this population during the corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Method: A search of 12 scientific databases identified 17 studi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology 2022-03, Vol.35 (2), p.182-195
Main Authors: Yan, Yifei, Du, Xiayu, Lai, Lizu, Ren, Zhihong, Li, Hua
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Anxiety - epidemiology
Anxiety - psychology
China - epidemiology
COVID-19 - epidemiology
Depression - epidemiology
Depression - psychology
Humans
Original
Pandemics
Prevalence
SARS-CoV-2
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Summary:Background: Estimating the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among older adults with different health conditions can inform mental health services for this population during the corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Method: A search of 12 scientific databases identified 17 studies with 11,237 Chinese older adults who were infected by COVID-19, were generally healthy, or had chronic illnesses. Meta-analysis was used to estimate the overall prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in these three groups. Assessment criteria, region, and time phase of the pandemic were tested as sources of heterogeneity. Results: With an average risk of bias score of 6.71 (range = 6–8), the majority of included studies employed appropriate statistical methods, used validated measurement tools, and had adequate response rates; however, they might have deficiencies in sample frame, sampling method, and sample size. Within the COVID-19, general, and chronic illness groups, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 27%, 26%, and 61%, respectively, and the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 14%, 23%, and 85%, respectively. Among generally healthy older adults, anxiety was more prevalent during the Phase 2 (March–April 2020) of the pandemic compared with other time phases. Conclusions: The results have implications for addressing the mental health problems of Chinese older adults, especially those with chronic illnesses, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ISSN:0891-9887
1552-5708
DOI:10.1177/08919887221078556