Objectives: The present study investigates the impact of disrupted mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic on depression and anxiety symptoms in long-term care (LTC) residents.
Methods: The study examined clinical data from 5,645 residents who received at least two psychological services in a long-term care (LTC) or assisted living (AL) setting between March 2019 and March 2021. A series of multiple regressions were run to explore the effects of the COVID-19 shutdown on depression and anxiety symptoms while examining the effects of COVID-19-related facility closure and facility telehealth capabilities. Follow-up regression analyses explored the impact of cognitive impairment and positive trauma history on depression and anxiety symptoms.
Results: Post-COVID levels of anxiety and depression were higher for residents with higher levels of pre-COVID anxiety and depression. The interaction between facility closure and availability of telehealth services and trauma history predicted self-report anxiety symptoms. Clinician-observed anxiety symptoms were predicted by cognitive impairment. Residents with a history of trauma had an increase in self-reported anxiety symptoms.
Conclusions: Telehealth appeared to mitigate anxiety during the pandemic for residents with higher pre-COVID anxiety.
Clinical implications: For those individuals with severe anxiety, results suggest the importance of ensuring that mental health services are available to mitigate symptoms via telehealth when infection control disrupts the usual delivery of treatment.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; long-term care; mental health services; older adults; telehealth; trauma.