MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELLBEING OF OLDER ADULTS: PERSPECTIVES FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC abstract

The socio demographic factors as well as personal experiences have been shown to influence the social well-being and mental health of older adults. Irrespective of one’s socioeconomic standing, elderly people frequently suffer from non-communicable diseases that are primarily linked to old age and necessitate extensive medical and social care. It has been found that these illnesses frequently cause disabilities, which have an impact on older people’s everyday activities, social well-being, and general mental health. Further, unmet care needs for older adults with illnesses include those pertaining to their social lives, physical and mental health, as well as the environments in which they live and interact. Studies have shown that it is common for older individuals to feel lonely and unsatisfied, which has an impact on their mental and social wellbeing. While the physical well-being of elderly people is heavily emphasized, their mental health and social well-being have not received the same attention or priority by the research community. It is in this context that this paper aims to explore how data on various aspects of COVID-19 disease and depression among older adults in India are presented. Thus, the findings from this article aim to highlight the issues related to the mental health of older people.