Coronavirus Anxiety and Obsession, Depression and Activities of Daily Living Among Older Adults in Mane and Semelghan, 2021

Objectives: In addition to physical damage, the Covid-19 epidemic can cause psychological problems and anxiety in public. Because the elderly is one of the most vulnerable groups in society, the present study aimed to assess the level of anxiety and obsession caused by the Covid-19 epidemic in the elderly and the relationship of those with the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in Iran in 2021. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was performed on 300 older adults aged ≥60 years who were selected by a simple random sampling method. Data were collected by using a demographic questionnaire and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Obsessive Coronavirus Scale (OCS), ADL, IADL, and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using SPSS18 and Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results: Participants were 214 (71.2%) under 70 years old. The prevalence of OCS and CAS in the elderly was 5.3% and 9%, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that OCD (r=0.220, p ≤ 0.001) and CAS (r= 0.322, p ≤ 0.001) have a significant correlation with depression. Also, CAS has a significant correlation with ADL (r=-0.114, p <0.05) Conclusions: The rate of OCS and CAS in the study didn’t significantly increase compared to the other age groups. But those scales significantly increased during the Covid-19 epidemic compared to before. Because of this, screening, referral, and more accurate follow-up of mental health services are necessary for clinics and health centers during the Covid-19 epidemic.