The COVID-19 pandemic is arguably the greatest public health disaster of the past hundred years. In addition to the tremendous loss of life and morbidity caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself, the mental health effects of the pandemic are only beginning to be understood. This program focuses on key aspects of the pandemic on older adults' mental health, including social isolation, loneliness, depression, and suicidal behaviors. It also introduces the audience to the concept of prolonged grief and how societal aspects of the response to the pandemic have made prolonged grief likelier for older adults after the loss of a loved one. Healing milestones and factors that derail healing will be presented, along with strategies for preventing the detrimental effects of social isolation and loneliness.
Participants in this web seminar will be able to:
- Explore the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seniors, emphasizing depression, suicide and prolonged grief, as well as the long-term care setting.
- Understand and explore the differences between social isolation and loneliness and their role in health and well-being.
- Discuss strategies for preventing the detrimental effects of loneliness and social isolation.
- Use a case example to explore risk factors and resiliency factors in prolonged grief disorder and potential association with COVID-19, while studying notable healing milestones and factors that derail that healing.
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