Emotional health assessment related to COVID-19 in older people: A cross-sectional study.

The sample was a convenience sample recruited through university programmes for older people, so it may not represent all older people in Spain. Most participants had higher education and were retired, which may differ from older people with lower education or different life circumstances. The questionnaire was online and self-administered, so people without internet access, computer skills or confidence with devices may have been missed. The study measured people at one time point, so it cannot show that COVID-19 restrictions caused the reported distress. The two age groups were not equal in size, which may affect comparisons. The AMICO and GHQ-12 cut-offs were developed for the general population, not specifically for older adults. The paper notes that older adults may report more physical symptoms on the GHQ-12, so a high score does not automatically mean psychiatric illness. Only a small minority had been infected with COVID-19, so findings about infection and isolation are unstable.

No funding was reported, and no conflicts of interest were declared.

Do not conclude that COVID-19 anxiety and fear were high in older people. Mean AMICO scores were below the 6.4 cut-off in both age groups, and the study did not test a nursing intervention.