Impact of COVID-19 on the Health and Well-being of Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia: A Rapid Systematic Review

Authors

M. Courtney HughesFollow
Yujun Liu, Northern Illinois University
Abby Baumbach, Northern Illinois University

Author ORCID Identifier

M. Courtney Hughes: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8699-5701

Yujun Liu: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4115-9459

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine

Abstract

Background: In December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or COVID-19, raised worldwide concern. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively influenced health and wellness across the globe and caused nearly three million deaths. This study focuses on informal caregivers of people with dementia, a disease that affects about 50 million older adults worldwide and requires much caregiving support.

Objective: Examine the current literature on the impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of informal caregivers for people with dementia.

Method: This rapid review was conducted across five electronic databases for quantitative and qualitative articles published through March 15, 2021.

Results: The 10 studies included in this review reported quantitative descriptive data from across the globe; however, no studies existed from the U.S. or East Asia countries. All of the studies examined the psychological rather than physical impact of COVID-19 and highlighted risk and protective factors in the areas of psychosocial (resilience, neuropsychiatric, and social isolation), sociodemographic (gender and education), and environmental (home confinement, living arrangement, and dementia stage).

Conclusion: COVID-19 has had a considerable negative impact on the psychological well-being of informal caregivers of people with dementia, namely causing more depression and anxiety than pre-pandemic.

First Page

1

Last Page

8

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214211020164

Publication Date

2021

Recommended Citation

Hughes, M. C., Liu, Y., & Baumbach, A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of informal caregivers of people with dementia: a rapid systematic review. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 7, 23337214211020164

Original Citation

Hughes, M. C., Liu, Y., & Baumbach, A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of informal caregivers of people with dementia: a rapid systematic review. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 7, 23337214211020164

Department

School of Health Studies| School of Family and Consumer Sciences