State of loneliness in older adults during the covid-19 pandemic

Uvod: Osamljenost ni povezana le s čustveno nestabilnostjo, ampak tudi z zmanjšano kakovostjo življenja in povečanim tveganjem za prezgodnjo smrt. Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti pojavnost osamljenosti pri starejših v času pandemije covida-19. Metode: Kvantitativna raziskava je bila izvedena s pomočjo anketnega vprašalnika. Vprašalnik je vseboval demografske značilnosti anketirancev, trditve o osamljenosti, oceno zadovoljstva z življenjem, oceno duševnega počutja, pogostost stikov in uporabo informacijsko komunikacijske tehnologije. Sodelovalo je 200 anketirancev, starejših od 65 let. Analiza podatkov je potekala v programu IBM SPSS 22. Rezultati: Ugotovljeno je bilo, da obstajajo statistično pomembne razlike pri starejših pred in med epidemijo pri pogostosti stikov (Z = –4,826, p < 0,001), občutku osamljenosti (Z = –4,761, p < 0,001), zadovoljstvu z življenjem (Z = –7,477, p < 0,001) in duševnim počutjem (Z = –7,494, p < 0,001). Razprava in zaključek: Glede na ugotovljeno stopnjo osamljenosti in duševno počutje bi bilo treba izdelati strokovne smernice, ki bodo usmerjene k posamezniku in s tem omejiti pojavnost osamljenosti in duševnih stisk pri starejših odraslih.Introduction: Loneliness is not only associated with emotional instability, but also with reduced quality of life and an increased risk of premature death. A quantitative survey was conducted with the aim of determining the incidence of loneliness among the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Quantitative research was conducted using a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 6 sets of questions, namely demographic characteristics of respondents, statements about loneliness, assessment of life satisfaction, assessment of mental/feeling/well-being, use of ICT, self-assessment of the studied variables. 200 respondents over the age of 65 took part. Data analysis was carried out in the IBM SPSS22 program. Results: It was found that there are statistically significant differences in the elderly before and during the epidemic in the frequency of contacts (Z = -4.826, p < 0.001), the feeling of loneliness (Z = -4.761, p < 0.001), satisfaction with life (Z = -7.477, p < 0.001) and mental well-being (Z = -7.494, p < 0.001). Discussion and conclusion: Based on the established level of loneliness and mental well-being, it would be necessary to create professional guidelines that will be directed towards the individual and thereby limit the incidence of loneliness and mental distress in older adults