The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Traumatic Stressor: Mental Health Responses of Older Adults With Chronic PTSD.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
; 29(2): 105-114, 2021 02.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-893985
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who experience additional traumas or stressful life events may undergo symptomatic worsening, but no data exist on whether exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic in a high infection area worsens mental health among older adults with chronic PTSD.METHODS:
Seventy-six older adults (Nâ¯=â¯46 with PTSD and Nâ¯=â¯30 trauma-exposed comparison subjects [TE]) for whom prepandemic data were available were interviewed between April 1 and May 8, 2020 to quantify depressive (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HRSD]) and PTSD symptom (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist [PCL-5]) levels. Group differences in baseline characteristics as well as pre-post pandemic symptom levels were examined, and participant characteristics were assessed as moderators of symptom change.RESULTS:
Compared to TEs, individuals with PTSD more often reported living alone and experiencing a physical illness (χ2â¯=â¯5.1, dfâ¯=â¯1, pâ¯=â¯0.02). PCL-5 scores among individuals with PTSD decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic by 7.1 points (t(69)â¯=â¯-3.5, pâ¯=â¯0.0008), whereas the TE group did not change significantly. Overall no significant differences in HRSD were found between groups, but a race or ethnicity variable was found to moderate HRSD symptom change. Non-black or Hispanic individuals with PTSD experienced significantly increased HRSD scores during the pandemic compared to black or Hispanic PTSD participants.CONCLUSION:
The findings are indicative of complexity in the responses of older individuals with PTSD to further stressful life events as well as possibly unique aspects to the COVID-19 pandemic as a stressor. Sources of resilience may exist based on experience with prior traumas as well as increasing age promoting more adaptive coping styles.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Depression
/
Resilience, Psychological
/
COVID-19
/
Loneliness
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
Journal subject:
Geriatrics
/
Psychiatry
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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