Virginia Nurses Today - August 2020

www.VirginiaNurses.com | Virginia Nurses Today August, September, October 2020 | Page 31
Cabin Fever in Older Adults
Alecia Thomas
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has
drastically changed our daily lives. Everyone is
trying to adapt to a new definition of normal by
adhering to social distancing guidelines and stay
at home or safer at home orders from government
officials. The overall goal of these guidelines is
to protect the health and safety of the public
by decreasing the spread of COVID-19. While
eradicating this novel virus is top priority, it is
also important to note the negative mental and
physical health effects that home isolation can
produce in the older population. Many elderly
patients might say that they have cabin fever or
simply say they feel lonely due to lack of social
contact with family and friends. A research
review conducted by Hawkley and Capitaio (2015)
revealed that loneliness in adults 50 years of age
and older is strongly linked to depression, poor
sleep quality, poor health outcomes, cognitive
decline, and mortality. The numerous health
complications associated with loneliness can
amount to astronomical Medicare treatment costs
equating to more than six billion dollars yearly
(Anderson & Thayer, 2018). Alternatively, older
adults that regularly interact with others and are
a part of a social network are more likely to live a
longer and purpose-driven life (National Institutes
of Health, 2019).
What is cabin fever?
Despite the name, cabin fever has nothing to
do with having an actual fever, instead it is the
feeling of loneliness caused by staying indoors
for an extended period. For example, a person
might experience cabin fever during severe
weather, illness, or a pandemic. The lack of social
interaction and outdoor activities can cause
irritability, stress, and/or heighten the feelings of
depression and anxiety (Hartwell-Walker, 2020).
Even though cabin fever is not a recognized
mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, it is still important to
acknowledge it and offer various coping methods
to combat cabin fever from spiraling into a state of
depression.
How is loneliness measured?
One of the most well-known and utilized tools
for measuring loneliness is the University of
California-Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale,
which effectively measures loneliness in older
adults (Ausin et al., 2018; Velarde-Mayol et al.,
2015). The scale is comprised of 20 questions
that measure an individual’s perception of
lonesomeness by ranking each question from 1
to 4. Questions are answered by a rating of 1
for never, 2 for rarely, 3 for sometimes, and 4 for
often. Examples of questions on the loneliness
scale are: “how often do you feel unhappy doing
so many things alone and how often do you feel
completely alone” (AARP, 2010). The total score of
the questionnaire can range from 20 through 80;
a score of 25 or greater indicates loneliness (AARP,
2010).
Combating cabin fever
As everyone adapts to a new sense of normalcy,
there are many things older adults can do to
prevent cabin fever from affecting their mental and
physical well-being. Technology makes it simple to
click a button to transform the loneliness of home
quarantine into a live and interactive video call
with one or multiple individuals. Regular group
activities, such as church meetings or exercise
classes can still take place through video meetings
apps, such as Zoom or Google Meet. Also, social
media platforms like Facebook make it easy to stay
engaged and entertained.
Other options to thwart the feelings of cabin
fever:
- Gardening is research-proven to have a
positive impact on overall health (Soga,
Gaston, & Yamaura, 2016).
- Staying active by walking the dog, jogging, or
running
- Stimulating your brain cells by reading,
doing puzzles, or learning something new
- Being creative and trying do-it-yourself
projects at home
References
AARP. (2010). How Lonely Are You? Retrieved from:
https://www.aarp.org/personal-growth/transitions/
info-09-2010/How-Lonely-are-You.html
Anderson ,G.O. & Thayer, C. (2018). Loneliness and
Social Connections: A national survey of adults 45
and older. Received from: https://www.aarp.org/
research/topics/life/info-2018/loneliness-socialconnections.html
Ausín, B., Muñoz, M., Martín, T., Pérez-Santos, E.,
& Castellanos, M.Á. (2017). Confirmatory factor
analysis of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale
(UCLA LS-R) in individuals over 65. Aging & Mental
Health, 23(3), 345_351. doi:10.1080/13607863.2017.1
423036
Hartwell-Walker, M. (2020). Coping with cabin fever.
Retrieved from: https://psychcentral.com/lib/copingwith-cabin-fever/
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Hawkley, L.C. & Capitanio, J.P. (2015). Perceived social
isolation, evolutionary fitness and health outcomes:
A lifespan approach. Philosophical Transactions of
the Royal Society B, 370 (1699), 1-12. https://doi.
org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0114
National Institute of Health. (2019). Social isolation,
loneliness in older people pose health risks. Received
from https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolationloneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks
Velarde-Mayol, C., Fragua-Gil., S, & García-de-Cecilia,
J.M. 2016. Validation of the UCLA loneliness scale
in an elderly population that live alone. Semergen,
42(3),177_183. doi:10.1016/j.semerg.2015.05.017
Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2016). Gardening
is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive
medicine reports, 5, 92-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
pmedr.2016.11.007
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