Psychological experience of home-quarantined older women with COVID-19 in Hong Kong: A qualitative study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The surge of positive COVID-19 cases taxed the local health care system and left many older adults initiating home self-care practices. The study aimed to explore the psychological experiences of home-quarantined older women diagnosed with COVID-19 in Hong Kong. METHODS: Ten semi-structured telephone interviews were held among older women from March to April 2022. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Older women experienced psychological distress, anxiety and depression after being infected with COVID-19. The source of their psychological difficulties included fear of losing control over one's health and dignity, feeling a burden to one's family, conflict in balancing risks and responsibilities, and being overwhelmed by the tragic news reported in media. Meanwhile, the participants demonstrated resilience following the infection and found meaning in their experiences, and grew mentally. CONCLUSIONS: The older women in this study have identified the negative impact having a diagnosis and being home-quarantine means to them and their family. Yet, they were also able to take some positives from this. Importantly, the older women report being able to build greater resilience, optimism and wisdom towards COVID-19 in general and feel better prepared for the potential of future positive diagnoses.