Understanding the Psychological Issues in The Geriatric Population in The Times of COVID-19- A Critical Review from The Lens of a Psychologist

The first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit India in January 2020 when the first confirmed case was reported at a general hospital of Kerala. Since then, the number of reported cases kept on increasing at a steady pace, we saw deaths, rise, fall and stagnancy in the number of cases in India while the figures of deaths reported remained worrisome. While India is currently battling with the deadly double mutant variant of the virus, the present critical review is an attempt to study, analyse and understand the need of catering to the needs of geriatric population, especially in a collectivistic culture like India, where elderly issues, psychological difficulties, and coping mechanism takes a back seat while there is constant fear of leading a healthy life especially in the testing times of a national pandemic, COVID-19. This critical review is an attempt to highlight the various issues dealt by the average Indian elderly, their lifestyle after retirement, sustaining means of livelihood in times of uncertainty and keeping a positive mindset for a better quality of life. This paper also attempts to enumerate few strategies required to inculcate a sense of life satisfaction and improved quality of life among the elderly.