Authors: Melanie P. Camas
, Maricris C. Cadampog
, Christa Queen G. Tutas
, Lovely P. Tantan
, Yvonne Hope S. Valeriano
, Tashmera D. Laranjo
Nursing Department, College of Arts and Sciences, Mindanao State University – Buug Campus, Buug, Zambonga Sibugay, Philippines
Email: melanie.camas@msubuug.edu.ph
ABSTRACT
The covid-19 pandemic has caused untold fear and suffering for older adults across the world. According to (Lee et al.,2020) emotions such
as fear and anger increase the rate of symptom manifestations and maintain high levels of anxiety and stress in vulnerable social groups, such
as elderly and those with existing mental disorders during difficult times. This study is a descriptive–quantitative research aimed to measure
the level of psychological stress among the elders aging 65 and above in barangay Bawang, Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay involving a total of
47 elderly respondents with 100% completion rate. This study utilized the Perceived Stress Scale, an adopted questionnaire authored by Sheldon and Cohen (1994) and descriptive statistics. The study yielded the following findings: Fifty- three percent (55.3%) of the 47 respondents
experienced a moderate level of stress; 12 respondents (or 25.5%) with low stress level; and 9 respondents (or 19.1%) with high stress level.
The common stress symptoms reported by the respondents during covid-19 pandemic were fatigue, boredom, depression, tense muscles, sore
neck, and back, anxiety, worry, and phobias, and difficulty falling asleep. Based on the results of this study, it is vital to identify individuals
like the elderly population who are prone to psychological distress so that with appropriate psychological strategies, techniques and interventions, the mental health of the affected population is preserved and improved most especially in this current crisis.
Keywords: Elderly, psychological stress, symptoms of stress, comorbidities, level of psychological stress