Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2022 |
Outros Autores: | , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/8642 |
Resumo: | The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the access of older adults to health services. The two objectives of this study are understanding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults’ access to health services and exploring how health service accessibility during the pandemic influenced older adults’ mental health and self-reported changes in behavior. This study included 346 older adults. Content analysis produced five themes: (1) decreased physical accessibility to health care providers (78%); (2) increased use of online health services and other virtual health care (69%); (3) growth in the online prescription of medication (67%); (4) difficulty obtaining information and accessing non-communicable disease and mental health indicators (65%); and (5) postponement of medical specialist consultations (51%). Regarding mental health, three themes emerged: (1) increased symptoms of anxiety, distress, and depression (89%); (2) the experience of traumatic situations (61%); and (3) the augmented use of alcohol or drugs (56%). Finally, the following changes in behavior were indicated: (1) frustrated behavior (92%); (2) emotional explosions (79%); and (3) changes in sleeping and eating behaviors (43%). Access to health services may have influenced the mental health and behavior of older adults, hence interventions in a pandemic must address their interactions with health services, their needs, and their well-being. |
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Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adultsAccess to health servicesChanges in behaviorHealth service accessibilityMental healthOlder adultsThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected the access of older adults to health services. The two objectives of this study are understanding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults’ access to health services and exploring how health service accessibility during the pandemic influenced older adults’ mental health and self-reported changes in behavior. This study included 346 older adults. Content analysis produced five themes: (1) decreased physical accessibility to health care providers (78%); (2) increased use of online health services and other virtual health care (69%); (3) growth in the online prescription of medication (67%); (4) difficulty obtaining information and accessing non-communicable disease and mental health indicators (65%); and (5) postponement of medical specialist consultations (51%). Regarding mental health, three themes emerged: (1) increased symptoms of anxiety, distress, and depression (89%); (2) the experience of traumatic situations (61%); and (3) the augmented use of alcohol or drugs (56%). Finally, the following changes in behavior were indicated: (1) frustrated behavior (92%); (2) emotional explosions (79%); and (3) changes in sleeping and eating behaviors (43%). Access to health services may have influenced the mental health and behavior of older adults, hence interventions in a pandemic must address their interactions with health services, their needs, and their well-being.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTMDPI Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteRepositório do ISPAvon Humboldt, SofiaLow, GailLeal, I.2022-04-14T18:06:02Z2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/8642engSofia von Humboldt, Gail Low, & Isabel Leal. (2022). Health Service Accessibility, Mental Health, and Changes in Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Older Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4277), 4277. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph190742771661782710.3390/ijerph19074277info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2022-09-05T16:44:34Zoai:repositorio.ispa.pt:10400.12/8642Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T15:26:30.957066Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
title |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
spellingShingle |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults von Humboldt, Sofia Access to health services Changes in behavior Health service accessibility Mental health Older adults |
title_short |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
title_full |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
title_fullStr |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
title_full_unstemmed |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
title_sort |
Health service accessibility, mental health, and changes in behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of older adults |
author |
von Humboldt, Sofia |
author_facet |
von Humboldt, Sofia Low, Gail Leal, I. |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Low, Gail Leal, I. |
author2_role |
author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Repositório do ISPA |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
von Humboldt, Sofia Low, Gail Leal, I. |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Access to health services Changes in behavior Health service accessibility Mental health Older adults |
topic |
Access to health services Changes in behavior Health service accessibility Mental health Older adults |
description |
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the access of older adults to health services. The two objectives of this study are understanding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults’ access to health services and exploring how health service accessibility during the pandemic influenced older adults’ mental health and self-reported changes in behavior. This study included 346 older adults. Content analysis produced five themes: (1) decreased physical accessibility to health care providers (78%); (2) increased use of online health services and other virtual health care (69%); (3) growth in the online prescription of medication (67%); (4) difficulty obtaining information and accessing non-communicable disease and mental health indicators (65%); and (5) postponement of medical specialist consultations (51%). Regarding mental health, three themes emerged: (1) increased symptoms of anxiety, distress, and depression (89%); (2) the experience of traumatic situations (61%); and (3) the augmented use of alcohol or drugs (56%). Finally, the following changes in behavior were indicated: (1) frustrated behavior (92%); (2) emotional explosions (79%); and (3) changes in sleeping and eating behaviors (43%). Access to health services may have influenced the mental health and behavior of older adults, hence interventions in a pandemic must address their interactions with health services, their needs, and their well-being. |
publishDate |
2022 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2022-04-14T18:06:02Z 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/8642 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/8642 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Sofia von Humboldt, Gail Low, & Isabel Leal. (2022). Health Service Accessibility, Mental Health, and Changes in Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Older Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4277), 4277. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074277 16617827 10.3390/ijerph19074277 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
MDPI Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
MDPI Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
instname_str |
Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
collection |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
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1799130127470166016 |