Abstrait

COVID-19 AND THE ELDERLY A review of the effects of the pandemic and its links to suicide in this population in the Caribbean.

Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor, ED.D. RQTU, MBPsS

In Trinidad and Tobago, the total number of recorded deaths due to the Covid-19 virus nearly equalled the number of suicides among the elderly during the months of March-August 2020. Objective: Was there a correlation between the fears, hopelessness and anxieties related to covid-19 and the increase in suicide rates among this group? Methods: This dynamic was investigated using statistical data gathered from a hotline established for mental health issues, a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT); statistics from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS); as well as published literature. Results from the data showed that there was an increase in familial conflicts, anxiety surrounding death and severe depression and helplessness due to isolation and loneliness, resultant from the mandatory stipulation of social distancing. Discussion: These results highlighted the need for increased relational attachments and an increase in support systems provided for the elderly, especially during the pandemic.