ABSTRACT
Approximately one in five Chilean older adults has some degree of dependency. Limited evidence is available on self-perceived needs in Latin-American older people. The main aim of this study was to identify predictors of unmet needs of dependent older persons without cognitive impairment, considering personal and primary informal caregivers' factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 77 dyads of older people with dependency and their caregivers. A survey was administered, evaluating sociodemographic characteristics, anxious and depressive symptomatology, health-related quality of life, and social support. Older people's self-reported met and unmet needs and caregivers' burden and self-efficacy were also assessed. To determine predictors of unmet needs, a multiple regression analysis was carried out. Most participants had mild to moderate levels of dependency. The most frequent unmet needs were "daytime activities" (33.8%), "company" (23.4%), "benefits" (23.4%), and "psychological distress" (24.7%). Older people's higher level of dependency and anxious symptomatology were predictors of a higher number of unmet needs, with a model whose predictive value was 31%. The high prevalence of anxious symptomatology and its relationship with the presence of unmet needs highlight the importance of making older people's psychological and social needs visible and addressing them promptly.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Quality of Life , Humans , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Quality of Life/psychology , Chile/epidemiology , Social Support , Caregivers/psychology , Health Services Needs and DemandABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 affects all age groups, but higher mortality rates are recorded in older people, men and with comorbidities, mainly hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Aim: To describe the main clinical characteristics, evolution and prognostic factors for death in older patients hospitalized for COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 128 patients aged 73 years, 66% men, hospitalized at a clinical hospital, with a diagnosis of COVID-19, admitted from May 1 to August 1, 2020. Data were collected from the clinical records, a description of the study population was made, and a univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed. Results: Seventy-two percent of patients had two or more comorbidities, mainly arterial hypertension in 66%, diabetes mellitus in 34% and cardiovascular disease in 19%. Forty-one percent were admitted to intensive care and 31% were connected to mechanical ventilation. In-hospital mortality was 26.6%. A multivariate analysis was performed in two blocks, finding in the first that arterial hypertension and older age significantly predict mortality. However, when previous institutionalization and immuno-suppression were included as variables in the second block, age ceased to be a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Prognostic factors associated with death in this age group are arterial hypertension and previous institutionalization.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Prognosis , Comorbidity , Retrospective Studies , Hospital Mortality , SARS-CoV-2 , Hospitalization , Hypertension/epidemiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 affects all age groups, but higher mortality rates are recorded in older people, men and with comorbidities, mainly hypertension, diabetes and obesity. AIM: To describe the main clinical characteristics, evolution and prognostic factors for death in older patients hospitalized for COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 128 patients aged 73 years, 66% men, hospitalized at a clinical hospital, with a diagnosis of COVID-19, admitted from May 1 to August 1, 2020. Data were collected from the clinical records, a description of the study population was made, and a univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of patients had two or more comorbidities, mainly arterial hypertension in 66%, diabetes mellitus in 34% and cardiovascular disease in 19%. Forty-one percent were admitted to intensive care and 31% were connected to mechanical ventilation. In-hospital mortality was 26.6%. A multivariate analysis was performed in two blocks, finding in the first that arterial hypertension and older age significantly predict mortality. However, when previous institutionalization and immuno-suppression were included as variables in the second block, age ceased to be a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Prognostic factors associated with death in this age group are arterial hypertension and previous institutionalization.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Diabetes Mellitus , Hypertension , Male , Humans , Aged , Female , COVID-19/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Retrospective Studies , Prognosis , Comorbidity , Hospitalization , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , Hypertension/epidemiology , Hospital MortalityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chilean higher education students have faced highly stressful events in 2020, including confinement and remote education. This population is particularly susceptible to mental health problems, such as high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. AIM: To evaluate possible negative impacts of confinement by COVID-19 on Chilean higher education students' mental health. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Scale and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) were applied to 315 students during 2016 and to 301 students during 2020. RESULTS: In 2020, depression mean scores for men (24.1) and women (29.7) exceeded the cutoff point, therefore suggesting the presence of depressive disorder. Women had higher depressive and anxious symptoms in both years, however, in 2020 a significant increase was observed for depression, indicating interaction between the year of assessment andgender (0 = 6.74; p <.001). In both samples, first-year students hadsignificantly higherdepressionscores (fl = -1,909;p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in depression was observed in 2020. Confinement by COVID-19 had a high impact on mental health in female students. Women and first-year students appear to be high risk groups for developing depressive symptoms.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/psychology , Mental Health , Students/psychology , Anxiety/epidemiology , Chile/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Depression/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , UniversitiesABSTRACT
In order to address the complexity of needs of dependent older people, multidimensional and person-centered needs assessment is required. The objective of this review is to describe met and unmet needs of dependent older people, living in the community or in institutions, and the factors associated with those needs. Selection criteria included papers about need asessment which employed the Camberwell Assesment of Need for the Elderly (CANE). A search through MEDLINE, SCOPUS, WOS and CINHAL databases was carried out. Twenty-one articles were finally included. Unmet needs were found more frequently in psychosocial areas (mainly in "company", "daytime activities" and "psychological distress") and in institutionalized population. In addition, unmet needs were often associated with depressive symptoms, dependency, and caregiver burden. Discrepancies between self-reported needs and needs perceived by formal and informal caregivers were identified. It is important that professionals and caregivers try to make visible the perspective of older people and their psychological and social needs, particularly when the person is dependent, depressed or cognitively impaired.
Subject(s)
Geriatric Assessment , Needs Assessment , Aged , Caregivers/psychology , Humans , Self-AssessmentABSTRACT
Background: Chilean higher education students have faced highly stressful events in 2020, including confinement and remote education. This population is particularly susceptible to mental health problems, such as high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Aim: To evaluate possible negative impacts of confinement by COVID-19 on Chilean higher education students' mental health. Material and Methods: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Scale and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) were applied to 315 students during 2016 and to 301 students during 2020. Results: In 2020, depression mean scores for men (24.1) and women (29.7) exceeded the cutoff point, therefore suggesting the presence of depressive disorder. Women had higher depressive and anxious symptoms in both years, however, in 2020 a significant increase was observed for depression, indicating interaction between the year of assessment andgender (0 = 6.74; p <.001). In both samples, first-year students hadsignificantly higherdepressionscores (fl = −1,909;p = 0.05). Conclusions: An increase in depression was observed in 2020. Confinement by COVID-19 had a high impact on mental health in female students. Women and first-year students appear to be high risk groups for developing depressive symptoms.
