"Lonely Without Seeing Their Children"…Elderly Isolated Amid Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic

Risk of 'Elderly Depression' Doubles as Family Interactions Decrease Due to Prolonged COVID-19
Depression May Lead to Extreme Choices

As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs, elderly and senior citizens are expressing feelings of loneliness. Photo by Asia Economy DB.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs, the elderly, whose outdoor activities have decreased, are expressing feelings of loneliness. They are experiencing increased social isolation, with weakened interactions among blood relatives such as children and grandchildren after the COVID-19 outbreak, leading to feelings of depression.

The problem is that if these feelings of depression persist for a long time, they can develop into clinical depression. Depression is a common illness often called the "common cold of the mind," but it is dangerous because if it worsens, it can potentially lead to death.

Recent studies have shown that the risk of depression in old age has nearly doubled due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation. A research team led by Professor Oh Daejong of the Department of Psychiatry at Boramae Hospital and Professor Kim Kiwoong of the Department of Psychiatry at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital diagnosed depressive disorders in 2,308 randomly selected elderly individuals aged 60 and above nationwide. The team diagnosed depressive disorders through structured clinical interviews and assessed the severity of depressive symptoms using self-report questionnaires.

The study results showed that the overall risk of depression in the elderly increased about twofold after the COVID-19 outbreak. Even elderly individuals with no prior history of depression had a 2.4 times higher risk of developing depression compared to before the pandemic.

In particular, elderly people whose frequency of family gatherings decreased to less than one hour per week had a 2.2 times higher risk of developing depression after the COVID-19 outbreak compared to those who maintained family gatherings for more than one hour per week.

At the Gwangju Buk-gu screening clinic, public health center medical staff are lining up rapid antigen test kits and checking for any adverse reactions. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

In summary, the elderly vulnerable to COVID-19 have reduced meetings with relatives and children due to concerns about infection, resulting in feelings of loneliness.

Kim, a housewife in her 60s with working children, said, "I haven't seen my children even once this year," adding, "Originally, my children planned to come home for the Lunar New Year holiday, but at that time, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 10,000, so they were told not to come."

She continued, "If it weren't for COVID-19, we would have had more opportunities to meet, which is unfortunate. It's been a long time since our family went on a trip together, and I worry because I don't know when COVID will end."

Given this situation, the number of elderly people experiencing depression is also increasing. According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 969,167 people aged 60 and above received treatment for depression nationwide from January to July last year, a 5.7% increase compared to the same period in 2020 (916,612 people).

The problem is that depression can lead to extreme actions such as suicide. Depression is characterized mainly by feelings of sadness and loss of motivation, causing changes in emotions, thoughts, physical condition, and behavior, which lead to a decline in daily functioning. Depression can occur in anyone, but if symptoms are left untreated without appropriate measures or treatment, daily life can become difficult.

Meanwhile, cases of extreme actions influenced by COVID-19 and other factors have been reported. In December 2020, a man in his 60s who was diagnosed with COVID-19 died by suicide after showing depressive symptoms following recovery.

This man developed depression while receiving isolation treatment after testing positive for COVID-19 and continued to receive related medical care even after recovery.

Similarly, in May of the same year, a woman in her 60s from Jinju, Gyeongnam, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 and later recovered, also died by suicide. It is known that she had been receiving psychological treatment for depression.

Meanwhile, on the 28th, the quarantine authorities announced at a regular briefing that they plan to investigate post-COVID-19 sequelae caused by the Omicron variant in adults under 50 without underlying diseases.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "With over 20% of the population infected due to the recent Omicron surge, it is necessary to closely investigate and analyze the health impacts following Omicron infection."

Director Jung added, "If symptoms unexplained by other diagnoses persist for at least two months after a COVID-19 diagnosis, it is defined as post-COVID-19 sequelae. The most commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, and mental symptoms such as depression and anxiety."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.