Resumen
Objetivo: Investigar el impacto de la religión en la salud y la vida de los adultos mayores durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Brasil. Metodos: Esta investigación cualitativa se realizó a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas con 171 adultos mayores, de ambos sexos, mayores de 60 años, residentes en las cinco regiones de Brasil. El objetivo fue comprender las percepciones de esta población, infectada o no por el SARS-CoV-2, sobre temas como la pandemia, la cuarentena, el miedo a la muerte y el envejecimiento. El análisis de los datos se llevó a cabo utilizando el software IRaMuTeQ, y el estudio fue aprobado por un Comité de Ética en Investigación. Resultados: La pandemia de COVID-19 tuvo un impacto significativo en la salud mental de los adultos mayores, exacerbado por el aislamiento social y el estrés, lo que evidenció la interconexión entre factores psicológicos, inmunológicos y sociales. La religión funcionó tanto como un medio para superar los desafíos impuestos por la pandemia como una herramienta para gestionar el miedo a la mortalidad. Conclusión: Se destaca la necesidad de políticas públicas que integren apoyo psicológico, reduzcan el aislamiento e implementen estrategias para mitigar el estrés, trasladando la protección hacia entornos vulnerables.
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