Covid‐19 lockdown: a perfect storm for older people’s mental health

Abstract

The management of lockdown presents a perfect storm for mental distress for older people by enforcing isolation and heightening perceptions of risk of death and illness. While gradual release from lockdown will maintain protection of those most at risk from covid‐19, older people will experience social isolation for the longest period as the over 75s carry the highest mortality risk (WHO, 2020). Isolation is strongly linked to depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline, and reduces resilience factors such as self‐worth, sense of purpose and feeling valued (Novotney, 2019). However, in addition to sustained isolation, governmental management of lockdown presents other challenges for older people