What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to identify psychosocial factors influencing help-seeking among older Indian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 19, 2026Open Access

Psychosocial Factors in Help-Seeking Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of Calls to India’s National Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Services Helpline

ACAllen Daniel ChristopherNational Institute of Disaster Management JCJayakumar ChristyNational Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences BRBangalore N. RoopeshNational Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

Key Points

This research aims to identify psychosocial factors influencing help-seeking among older Indian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conducted a secondary reflexive thematic analysis of helpline call summaries from March 2020 to October 2021.
Analyzed 82 de-identified call summaries using Braun and Clarke's six-phase analytic framework.
Performed age-stratified, caller-type, and gender-differentiated analyses to identify demographic patterns.
89.0% of callers were male older adults with a mean age of 69.3 years.
52.4% of calls were made by family members on behalf of older adults, while 47.6% were direct calls from older adults.
Major themes included psychological distress (39.0%), pandemic-related isolation (22.0%), health anxieties (26.8%), and cognitive concerns (18.3%).

Abstract

Background: Older adults faced significant psychosocial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet evidence on help-seeking behavior in low- and middle-income countries remains limited. This study aimed to identify the psychosocial factors prompting help-seeking among older Indian adults and family members who contacted the National Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Services Helpline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A secondary reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on 82 de-identified helpline call summaries (March 2020-October 2021). Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase analytic framework. Age-stratified, caller-type, and gender-differentiated analyses were used to examine demographic patterns within the dataset. Results: The sample comprised predominantly male (89.0%) older adults with a mean age of 69.3 years (SD: 7.6). Approximately 52.4% (n=43) were proxy calls initiated by family members (primarily sons), while 47.6% (n=39) were direct calls from older adults. Six major themes emerged, including psychological distress and emotional vulnerability (39.0%, n=32), pandemic-related isolation (22.0%, n=18), health anxieties (26.8%, n=22), cognitive concerns (18.3%, n=15), vaccination-related concerns (22.0%, n=18), and family relationship and caregiver issues (17.1%, n=14). Older adults aged ≥80 years showed higher prevalence of isolation (36.4%, n=4) and cognitive concerns (36.4%, n=4). Direct callers more frequently reported psychological distress (46.2%, n=18), whereas proxy callers more often reported cognitive concerns (25.6%, n=11) and family relationship strain (25.6%, n=11). Conclusions: Helpline interactions provided insight into the psychosocial concerns prompting older adults and their families to seek support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight the importance of age-responsive, linguistically accessible, and family-inclusive mental health services during public health emergencies in low- and middle-income country contexts.

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