Our Elderly’s Mental Health in Times of COVID-19

Abstract

The present COVID-19 pandemic threatens humanity in various ways, especially due to the unpredictable nature of its course and progress. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health varies from place to place, but it is widely felt all over. Moreover, the impact is more pronounced on vulnerable groups within every population. In this study, we focus on the pandemic impact on the elderly’s mental health in Malta. Data gathered from ongoing surveys from Richmond Foundation Malta, found in the public domain, highlight 1) the COVID-19 pandemic as increasingly seen as a bigger threat; 2) the handling of the pandemic by local health authorities first took a dip in general trust, only to recover at more recent times; 3) mixed results regarding intra-personal domain (with an increase in self-care tendencies, but also an increase in social isolation and loneliness); and 4) an increase in elderly’s quest for interpersonal contact.