COVID-19, Depression and Falls Injuries: Interactions and Impact

Ray Marks

Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Columbia University, Teachers College, New York, USA

Dr. Ray Marks, Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Columbia University, Teachers College, New York, USA.

Keywords: Aging; COVID-19; Depression; Falls Injuries; Falling; Homebound; Mood State; Older Adults; Prevention; Risk Factors; Social Isolation

Abstract

The COVID-19 virus, which persists in heightening premature death rates among older adults, especially those with health challenges, also appears linked to possible poor outcomes currently observed for older adults who not only experience COVID-19 infections, but who may experience highly injurious falls that lead to bone fractures. This overview focuses on falls injuries, the chief hip fracture precursor, and the possible impact of pre existing or concurrent depressive symptoms, especially among those treated with anti-depressant drugs, on falls risk, as well as COVID-19 risk. Reviewed are relevant topical articles and past literature and research on these topics located in the PUBMED data base. Results show, a large body of prior work on falls, but almost none either on falls and their possible bi-directional link to COVID-19, or COVID-19 restrictions, and an array of unanticipated adverse outcomes. Even less attention is paid to the potential role depression may play during this pandemic period and beyond that may heighten falls risk, as well as COVID-19 infection risk, and in turn, hip fracture risk associated with high mortality rates among those infected by COVID-19. Urgent attention to the possible interactive role played by reactive depression, as well as better preventive treatments directed to the origins of co-existing depression, other than anti-depressants appear indicated.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).