Background and aims. The COVID-19 outbreak is a far-reaching health crisis and a significant psychological stressor. COVID-19 pa-tients experience an unknown and life-threatening condition that ex-poses them to strict social distancing, physical discomfort, medication side effects, long hospitalization, stigmatization and fear of death. Older people seem to be particularly vulnerable to the current pandemic from both a physical and a psychological point of view. The present article aims to describe different psychological reactions in older hospitalized COVID-19 patients encountered by the clinical psychology Unit of one of northern Italy most hit hospitals. Three prototypical clinical cases will be described and discussed. Insights about different attitudes towards the illness will be offered. Conclusions. Auto-biographical narration among older hospitalized COVID-19 patients has positive effect. Hospital psychologist can sup-port patients in the process of disease acceptance.
COVID-19 older hospitalized patients: three clinical-psychological patterns / S. Poli, E. Cao di San Marco, E. Andrighi, E.A.M. Vegni. - In: JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS. - ISSN 2499-6564. - 69:1(2021), pp. 79-83. [10.36150/2499-6564-464]
COVID-19 older hospitalized patients: three clinical-psychological patterns
S. Poli
Primo
;E.A.M. Vegni
2021
Abstract
Background and aims. The COVID-19 outbreak is a far-reaching health crisis and a significant psychological stressor. COVID-19 pa-tients experience an unknown and life-threatening condition that ex-poses them to strict social distancing, physical discomfort, medication side effects, long hospitalization, stigmatization and fear of death. Older people seem to be particularly vulnerable to the current pandemic from both a physical and a psychological point of view. The present article aims to describe different psychological reactions in older hospitalized COVID-19 patients encountered by the clinical psychology Unit of one of northern Italy most hit hospitals. Three prototypical clinical cases will be described and discussed. Insights about different attitudes towards the illness will be offered. Conclusions. Auto-biographical narration among older hospitalized COVID-19 patients has positive effect. Hospital psychologist can sup-port patients in the process of disease acceptance.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
---|---|---|---|
305-Manuscript file-1006-1-10-20201015.pdf
accesso aperto
Tipologia:
Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione
89.24 kB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
89.24 kB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri |
Pubblicazioni consigliate
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.