LEVEL OF CORONAPHOBIA IN OLDER ADULT PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Coronaphobia is defined as a specific phobia of the novel coronavirus in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the level of coronaphobia caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in older adult patients with musculoskeletal problems who visited an outpatient clinic and to compare the results with those of patients under 65 years of age. Our secondary aim was to determine whether the level of coronaphobia in older adult patients is related to their sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: This single-center, descriptive study was conducted between January 2022 and March 2022. A total of 100 patients who visited the physical therapy and rehabilitation outpatient clinic due to musculoskeletal problems were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=50; 39 females, 11 males) comprised patients aged ≥65 years. Group 2 (n=50; 36 females, 14 males) comprised patients aged <65 years. Sociodemographic data of the patients were recorded. All patients in both groups completed the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S). Results: The C19P-S total score and the psychological, psychosomatic, social, and economic subscale scores were significantly higher in the older adult patient group than in the control group (p<0.001). Additionally, no significant relationship was found between the level of coronaphobia and sociodemographic characteristics in the older adult patient group (p>0.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that older adult patients had higher levels of coronaphobia. Early recognition of coronaphobia in older adult patients, and making interventions for its treatment are important.