Commonalities and Specificities in Cognitive and Psychosocial Effects in the Elderly Population During COVID-19 Lockdown in Inúbia Paulista-SP and Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil, in 2020-2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the routine of the Brazilian population, significantly affecting mental health, especially among the elderly, a growing demographic. Therefore, understanding these characteristics is crucial to improving health services.

Aims: To describe and analyze the cognitive (ability to calculate, identify one's own and others' emotions, linguistic skills, attention, concentration, and memory) and psychosocial (sense of humor, feeling of loneliness, fear, worry, and relationships with the environment) effects in individuals over 60 years old in the cities of InúbiaPaulista-SP and RibeirãoPreto-SP, Brazil, during the COVID-19 lockdown between 2020 and 2022.

Methodology: This was a basic, observational, cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study with a mixed approach. It evaluated 674 elderly individuals (257 in InúbiaPaulista-SP and 417 in RibeirãoPreto-SP, Brazil) using an AD-HOC questionnaire with 46 questions in the last quarter of 2022. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic profile, functionality, cognitive and psychosocial effects, and use of mental health services, excluding health professionals and individuals with severe neurological or psychiatric conditions.

Results: The majority of participants were female. Functionality was similar in both cities, with approximately half of the participants declaring independence and the other half partial dependence, with few declaring total dependence. In InúbiaPaulista, women had a 17% higher probability of having chronic diseases (p=0.003), whereas no such association was found in RibeirãoPreto. Cognitive effects were higher in RibeirãoPreto, while InúbiaPaulista showed greater psychosocial effects. In InúbiaPaulista, there was a positive association between gender and cognitive effects (p<0.05), with females being more affected. In RibeirãoPreto, there was a significant association between COVID-19 exposure and cognitive effects (p<0.001), as well as between chronic diseases and cognitive effects. Both cities showed a significant association between functionality and cognitive/psychosocial effects (p<0.001), with dependents being more affected. Although nearly all participants had contact during the lockdown, most experienced loneliness. Only 5% acknowledged the need for mental health services.

Conclusion: Despite differences between cities, identifying common aspects is crucial for developing specific public mental health policies for the elderly, thereby improving their quality of life through prevention and health promotion.