The Psychiatry Service of the Dénia Health Department -DSD- warns of the increase in cases of depression, insomnia and anxiety after the pandemic and the reasons why the elderly and chronically ill have seen their situation of vulnerability worsened.
Confinement has meant a break in daily activities. Isolation and social distancing have aggravated the feeling of loneliness and stress suffered by some groups, especially older people. Also the threat of becoming infected with the virus, the uncertainty that it generates in the groups most vulnerable to the virus, the elderly and chronically ill, exacerbate, among this population, any latent risk of depression or anxiety.
The Head of the DSD Psychiatry Service, Dr. Katarzyna Sylwia, affirms that, after the pandemic, patients with psychological symptoms such as: worry, sadness, the feeling of worthlessness are frequent; as well as behaviors of fear, restlessness, inhibition and irritability and irrational thoughts, beliefs and negative expectations about oneself and / or reality.
Along these lines, Dr. Katarzyna Sylwia warns of the importance of identifying in the elderly any sign of self-abandonment, apathy or anxiety. “Refusing to carry out such basic tasks as bathing, eating, cleaning and social withdrawal can be demotivating and lead to depression. Excessive concern about everything that happens or being hypo-alert is also a manifestation of anxiety ”, says the doctor.
Dr. Katarzyna points out the need for affection and security that characterizes this age group. Therefore, he recommends offering them support and accompaniment to greatly minimize psychological and behavioral alterations and contribute to making the passage through this stage more pleasant, in order to achieve better emotional and cognitive well-being. For this, it is important to promote their autonomy, make them participate in daily tasks and make them feel useful and loved, in order to improve their mood.
Likewise, it is vital to preserve healthy lifestyle habits. The practice of physical exercise helps them sleep better and reduces the level of stress and depressive emotional states. Also the practice of mental acuity exercises such as: reading, playing dominoes or chess and doing crosswords are activities that stimulate the brain and help keep the mind away from everyday worries, concludes the Head of the DSD Psychiatry Service.
