Relationship Between Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 and Loneliness in Patients With Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study From Iran

Objectives: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people all around the world, the elderly is at a higher risk of suffering from its consequences. One of the serious concerns is developing loneliness and post-traumatic stress symptoms, which may contribute to cognitive decline at older ages. This study aimed to examine the psychological responses and loneliness in elderly patients diagnosed with dementia.

Methods: Twenty-one patients diagnosed with dementia, with ages older than 40, and 19 caregivers were enrolled in the study. The patients have undergone a comprehensive neuropsychiatric interview and were assessed with De Jong Gierveld Scale for loneliness and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). The severity of dementia was assessed by Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST Scale) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Results: No significant difference was seen in patients and caregivers in the IES-R and loneliness scales. A higher level of avoidance and social and total loneliness were seen in higher FAST levels (-value: 0.046). There was a negatively significant correlation between MoCA score and avoidance. Hyperarousal was significantly correlated with emotional loneliness in patients.

Conclusion: We found a direct relationship between cognitive decline and the psychological impacts of COVID-19. Our results highlight the need for more comprehensive studies to further investigate the influence of the pandemic on the worsening of cognitive impairment and loneliness in patients with dementia.