Coronavirus: almost one-third of elderly in Hong Kong felt lonely during fifth wave, survey finds, with some reporting worsening mental well-being
- Study by University of Hong Kong shows 29 per cent of respondents aged 60 and above reported feelings of loneliness during fifth wave
- Researchers call on community to proactively support elderly as data shows mental well-being of seniors has worsened from two years ago
Almost a third of elderly residents in Hong Kong have said they felt lonely during the city’s fifth coronavirus wave, a survey has found, with some also reporting a decline in their mental well-being as the pandemic heads into its third year.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and released on Monday, urged the family and friends of elderly residents, as well as the wider community, to provide “active care” to help seniors deal with emotional distress.
Kwok Wai-wai, a project manager at HKU’s department of social work and social administration who co-led the study, explained that rather than waiting for elderly residents to seek help, those around them needed to be proactive and make the first move.
“The fifth wave had more impact on older adults, probably because at the time, lots of news was about them being infected and the rising death rate, which placed lots of pressure on older adults,” said Kwok, who is also a senior clinical psychologist.
Government data released on Sunday showed that over 8,700 of the city’s more than 10,000 Covid-related deaths were among those aged 70 years and above. Members of the same age group also accounted for 70 per cent of all hospitalised coronavirus patients during the fifth wave.
