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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Aging Psychiatry
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1505279
This article is part of the Research Topic Healthy ageing, social psychiatry of older adults and family caregivers View all articles

Psychosocial Wellbeing and Risk Perception of Older Adults during COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: Perspectives on the Role of Social Workers

Provisionally accepted
Farah Rahman Farah Rahman 1,2Anthony Iwuagwu Anthony Iwuagwu 3Christopher Ndubuisi Ngwu Christopher Ndubuisi Ngwu 3Michael Kalu Michael Kalu 4Amani Kasherwa Amani Kasherwa 5Anika Tasnim Anika Tasnim 6Manzur Kader Manzur Kader 7*
  • 1 International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR), Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • 2 School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 3 Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka , Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
  • 4 School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 5 School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
  • 6 Sidra Medicine, Ar-Rayyan, Doha, Qatar, Doha, Qatar
  • 7 Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The COVID-19 pandemic presented a 'double-edged sword' for older adults: not only were they more susceptible to the virus, but its broader consequences also exacerbated other challenges, particularly those related to psychosocial well-being. Limited evidence exists on how older adults perceive the pandemic and its impact on their well-being and the role of social workers in addressing these challenges, particularly in resource-limited settings like Nigeria.This study explored older adults' perceived risks regarding COVID-19, its impact on their psychosocial wellbeing, and the role of social workers in addressing these challenges in Nigeria.A phenomenological and exploratory research design was used. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with 16 older adults and 4 social workers in Onitsha metropolis, Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria. Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis.The findings revealed that the COVID-19 restrictive measures negatively impacted the psychosocial well-being of older adults, where social isolation, lack of support, the inability to engage in wellbeing activities, and emotional trauma collectively contributed to a significant decline in their mental and emotional health.Additionally, widespread misconceptions about the origin of COVID-19 led to reluctance in adopting preventive measures. While social workers provided some awareness and counselling sessions, their involvement was limited. Social workers were not recognized as part of the frontline response team, and their efforts were primarily constrained by governmental and institutional neglect.The findings highlight the need for policy initiatives to enhance social workers involvement in strengthening the psychosocial resilience of older adults and addressing misconceptions during public health emergencies.Comprehensive strategies are essential for safeguarding the psychosocial well-being of older adults in future pandemics or similar crises.

    Keywords: older adults, Loneliness, Psychosocial wellbeing, Risk Perception, Social Work, COVID-19, Nigeria

    Received: 02 Oct 2024; Accepted: 26 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Rahman, Iwuagwu, Ngwu, Kalu, Kasherwa, Tasnim and Kader. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Manzur Kader, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden

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