ABSTRACT
Durch die breite Anwendung von Atemschutzmasken in der Bevölkerung im Rahmen der COVID‑19-Pandemie rückten Kopfschmerzen, die durch das Tragen der Schutzausrüstung neu hervorgerufen wurden oder sich dadurch intensivierten, vermehrt in den Fokus. Wir wollen den aktuellen Wissensstand rund um den „maskeninduzierten Kopfschmerz“ anhand von drei ausgewählten Studien erläutern, das Phänomen und dessen Verlauf beschreiben und Handlungsempfehlungen daraus ableiten.
ABSTRACT
Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic increase the risk of social isolation and loneliness, which may affect mental wellbeing. Therefore, we aimed to investigate associations between social isolation and loneliness with depressive symptoms in the German old-age population during the first COVID-19 lockdown. A representative sample of randomly selected individuals at least 65 years old (n = 1005) participated in a computer-assisted standardized telephone interview in April 2020. Sociodemographic data, aspects of the personal life situation, attitudes towards COVID-19 and standardized screening measures on loneliness (UCLA 3-item loneliness scale), depression (Brief Symptom Inventory/BSI-18), and resilience (Brief Resilience Scale/BRS) were assessed. Associations were inspected using multivariate regression models. Being lonely, but not isolated (ß = 0.276; p < 0.001) and being both isolated and lonely (ß = 0.136; p < 0.001) were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Being isolated, but not lonely was not associated with depressive symptoms. Thus, the subjective emotional evaluation, i.e., feeling lonely, of the social situation during lockdown seems more relevant than the objective state, i.e., being isolated. Normal (ß = -0.203; p < 0.001) and high resilience (ß = -0.308; p < 0.001) were associated with lower depressive symptoms across groups. Therefore, strengthening coping skills may be a support strategy during lockdowns, especially for lonely older individuals.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Depression , Aged , Communicable Disease Control , Depression/epidemiology , Humans , Loneliness , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Social IsolationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Review of the evidence on the psychosocial impact of quarantine measures during serious coronavirus outbreaks before COVID-19.âSuch information is highly relevant in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Search of the MEDLINE database for relevant studies related to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV outbreaks. RESULTS: Across 13 identified studies, quarantine measures were consistently associated with negative psychosocial outcomes, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger, stress, posttraumatic stress, social isolation, loneliness and stigmatization. Determinants comprised duration of quarantine measures and income losses. Health care workers constituted a particularly vulnerable group. CONCLUSION: Quarantine measures during serious coronavirus outbreaks have extensive negative consequences for mental health. Prevention and intervention approaches to attenuate the psychosocial impact should be an integral component of crisis response during pandemic conditions.