Loneliness and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study Among Dutch Older Adults.
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ABSTRACT: Objectives
With the spread of COVID-19, the Netherlands implemented a policy to keep citizens physically distanced. We hypothesize that consequent reduction in the frequency of social contacts, personal losses, and the experience of general threats in society reduced well-being.Methods
Data were collected from 1,679 Dutch community-dwelling participants aged 65-102 years comprising a longitudinal online panel. Social and emotional loneliness and mental health were measured in May 2020, that is, 2 months after the implementation of the measures, and earlier in October and November 2019.Results
In this pandemic, the loneliness of older people increased, but mental health remained roughly stable. The policy measures for physical distancing did not cause much social isolation but personal losses, worries about the pandemic, and a decline in trust in societal institutions were associated with increased mental health problems and especially emotional loneliness.Discussion
The consequences of long-term social isolation and well-being must be closely monitored.
SUBMITTER: van Tilburg TG
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7454922 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description: Not available
| S-BSST1055 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had wide-ranging health effects and increased isolation. Older with cancer patients might be especially vulnerable to loneliness and poor mental health during the pandemic.MethodsThe authors included active participants enrolled in the longitudinal Thinking and Living With Cancer study of nonmetastatic breast cancer survivors aged 60 to 89 years (n = 262) and matched controls (n = 165) from 5 US regions. Participants completed questionnaires at parent study enrollment and then annually, including a web-based or telephone COVID-19 survey, between May 27 and September 11, 2020. Mixed-effects models were used to examine changes in loneliness (a single item on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression [CES-D] scale) from before to during the pandemic in survivors versus controls and to test survivor-control differences in the associations between changes in loneliness and changes in mental health, including depression (CES-D, excluding the loneliness item), anxiety (the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale). Models were adjusted for age, race, county COVID-19 death rates, and time between assessments.ResultsLoneliness increased from before to during the pandemic (0.211; P = .001), with no survivor-control differences. Increased loneliness was associated with worsening depression (3.958; P < .001) and anxiety (3.242; P < .001) symptoms and higher stress (1.172; P < .001) during the pandemic, also with no survivor-control differences.ConclusionsCancer survivors reported changes in loneliness and mental health similar to those reported by women without cancer. However, both groups reported increased loneliness from before to during the pandemic that was related to worsening mental health, suggesting that screening for loneliness during medical care interactions will be important for identifying all older women at risk for adverse mental health effects of the pandemic.
| S-EPMC8419003 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, with its accompanying isolation measures, has led to increasing loneliness among older adults. In this study, we examine whether the increased level of loneliness observed in the Netherlands persisted into the fall of 2020, whether there were differences in emotional, social, and existential loneliness, and whether the presence of well-known risk factors for loneliness also led to further increases in loneliness during the pandemic.MethodsData were obtained from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, with observations of 404 community-dwelling older adults aged 74-96 years from 2019 and fall 2020.ResultsLoneliness increased between 2019 and 2020, and the increase was particularly high for emotional loneliness (partial η 2 = 0.19). Having a partner and a high mastery and good physical functioning before the pandemic provided some protection against an increase in loneliness.DiscussionLoneliness increased for almost all older people. Targeted policies can reduce the negative impact of vulnerabilities. Efforts to combat loneliness during the pandemic should focus not only on groups traditionally considered vulnerable, such as socially isolated people, but also on older adults with a partner and who have daily contact with others.
| S-EPMC8394819 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundLoneliness has become a significant public health concern for older people. However, little is known about the association of loneliness, loneliness literacy, and changes in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic with mental well-being. The purpose of this study was to explore whether loneliness literacy is related to a lower risk of loneliness, increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and improved mental well-being for community-based older adults.MethodsA telephone survey was conducted to collect data from older adults aged 65 years or older in Taiwan (n = 804). Loneliness, change in loneliness during COVID-19, and loneliness literacy were the main variables. Mental well-being was assessed by depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Related factors included personal level (demographics, health conditions, health behaviors, and problem-focused/ emotion-focused coping strategies), interpersonal level (marital status, living arrangements, social support, social participation, leisure activities, and social interactions during COVID-19), and societal level (areas and regions) factors.ResultsFour dimensions of loneliness literacy were identified by factor analysis: self-efficacy, social support, socialization, and in-home support. Self-efficacy and in-home support were related to lower loneliness. Lower self-efficacy, higher social support, and higher socialization were related to changes (increases) in loneliness during COVID-19. In-home support may prevent depressive symptoms, while self-efficacy was beneficial for better life satisfaction. In addition, emotion-focused coping may increase loneliness during COVID-19, while satisfaction with family support would be a protective factor against loneliness.ConclusionLoneliness literacy is related to loneliness and increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building up an age-friendly community with embedded services/information and learning positive coping and mental resilience strategies are suggested.
| S-EPMC9412798 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PURPOSE:Young adults are at high risk for increases in loneliness and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examined increases in loneliness in a young adult sample, for whom increases were greater, and association with increases in depression and anxiety. METHOD:Data from 564 young adults (ages 22-29, 60.7% women) were collected in January 2020 (pre-pandemic) and April/May 2020 (during pandemic). RESULTS:Loneliness increased from January to April/May and changes in loneliness were greater for females, those with higher perceived social support in January, and those with greater concerns about the pandemic's social impacts. Depression (but not anxiety) increased during this time with changes in loneliness accounting for much of the increase in depression. CONCLUSIONS:Intervention strategies with young adults need to address loneliness and feelings of reduced social support during this time, especially for those who may have had greater disruption in their social lives.
| S-EPMC7576375 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background/objectivesDifferences in older adults' worry, attitudes, and mental health between high-income countries with diverging pandemic responses are largely unknown. We compared COVID-19 worry, attitudes towards governmental responses, and self-reported mental health symptoms among adults aged ≥55 in the United States and Canada early in the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignOnline cross-sectional survey administered between April 2nd and May 31st in the United States and between May 1st and June 30th, 2020 in Canada.SettingNationally in the United States and Canada.ParticipantsConvenience sample of older adults aged ≥55.MeasurementsLikert-type scales measured COVID-19 worry and attitudes towards government support. Three standardized scales assessed mental health symptoms: the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the five-item Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the three-item UCLA loneliness scale.ResultsThere were 4453 U.S. respondents (71.7% women; mean age 67.5) and 1549 Canadian (67.6% women; mean age 69.3). More U.S. respondents (71%) were moderately or extremely worried about the pandemic, compared to 52% in Canada. Just 20% of U.S. respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the federal government cared about older adults in their COVID-19 pandemic response, compared to nearly two-thirds of Canadians (63%). U.S. respondents were more likely to report elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to Canadians; 34.2% (32.8-35.6) versus 25.6% (23.3-27.8) for depressive and 30.8% (29.5-32.2) versus 23.7% (21.6-25.9) for anxiety symptoms. The proportion of United States and Canadian respondents who reported loneliness was similar. A greater proportion of women compared to men reported symptoms of depression and anxiety across all age groups in both countries.ConclusionU.S. older adults felt less supported by their federal government and had elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to older adults in Canada during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health messaging from governments should be clear, consistent, and incorporate support for mental health.
| S-EPMC8250795 | biostudies-literature
Project description:COVID-19 mitigation efforts had the potential to exacerbate loneliness among older adults, particularly for the unpartnered or childless, yet specific studies on loneliness among these groups during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) collected before (October 2019-March 2020) and during the pandemic (June-August 2020), we examine two loneliness outcomes: (1) "have you felt lonely recently?" (both datasets) and (2) "have you felt lonelier than before the pandemic?" (2020), and examine differences by partnership and parenthood status. Before COVID-19, those who lacked one tie but had the other (unpartnered parents or partnered childless) were at highest loneliness risk. During COVID-19, unpartnered and childless-especially unpartnered-remain at higher risk for loneliness, entering loneliness, and not "exiting" loneliness. We discuss these findings in light of family norms and needs in pandemic and non-pandemic times and provide recommendations for future research.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00718-x.
| S-EPMC9294803 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate mental health status and associated factors among caregivers of older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic in China.MethodsFrom March 1 to 31, 2020, 916 caregivers of older adults participated in an online cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was administered to measure anxiety symptoms, the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and a self-developed questionnaire was used to assess sleep quality and duration. Six questions about COVID-19-related experiences were used to assess community-level infection contact and the level of exposure to media information. The prevalence rates of anxiety, depression and sleep problems were computed. The Wald χ2 were applied to compare the differences between subgroups. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate factors associated with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and multimorbidity.ResultsThe prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems were 46.8%, 29.8%, and 10.8%, respectively. Approximately 263 participants (28.7%) presented with two or more mental health problems. Being female (OR, 2.254; 95% CI, 1.510-3.363), having community-level COVID-19 contact (OR, 1.856; 95% CI, 1.189-2.898), and having a mental disorder (OR, 3.610; 95% CI, 1.644-7.930) were associated with increased risk of multimorbidity among caregivers. Caregivers who preferred positive information (OR, 0.652; 95% CI, 0.472-0.899) had reduced risk of multimorbidity.ConclusionAnxiety and depression were common among caregivers of older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic. Being female and having community-level COVID-19 contact were independent risk factors for experiencing multiple mental health problems. Preexisting mental disorders increased the risk of multimorbidity among caregivers, while enhanced access to positive media information decreased the risk of multimorbidity.
| S-EPMC7816581 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo explore the experiences of older Peruvian adults living in urban areas of Lima under lockdown due to the National COVID-19 Emergency, this study analyzes how older adults (aged 60 and older) exercise agency while also living with the negative impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and related control measures.MethodsBetween August and December 2020, our research team conducted a telephone-based, qualitative study, in which we undertook semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of low-income older adults living with chronic multimorbidities and limited resources. Forty older adults, 24 women and 16 men, with a mean age of 72 years, participated in the study. For data analysis, we employed thematic analysis with a predominantly inductive approach.ResultsOlder adults demonstrated several forms of agency to regulate emotions, maintain crucial bonds, foster social relationships, and seek economic and food security. Older adults experienced entertainment and support by caring for pets, undertaking farm work, and practicing their religious beliefs. For several participants and their families, quarantine was an opportunity to strengthen family relationships and learn new technologies. Older adults and their families reorganized themselves to assume new roles and perform activities that improved self-worth and confidence, thereby improving their well-being and mental health.DiscussionPeruvian older adults exerted agency in different ways to respond to and sustain their mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown. Policymakers should value and recognize the agency of older adults when planning future health responses.
| S-EPMC10214643 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo determine the relationship between the amount and intensity of physical activity performed by older adults in North America (United States and Canada) and their depression and anxiety symptoms while currently under social distancing guidelines (SDG) for the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignDescriptive cross-sectional study.SettingOnline survey conducted between April 9 and April 30, 2020, during the COVD-19 pandemic.ParticipantsAbout 1,046 older adults over the age of 50 who live in North America.MeasurementsParticipants were asked about their basic demographic information, current health status, and the impact of the current SDG on their subjective state of mental health. Participants completed the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, to determine the amount and intensity of physical activity performed, as well as both the Geriatric Depression Scale and Geriatric Anxiety Scale, to ascertain the extent of their depression and anxiety-like symptoms.ResultsNinety-seven percent of participants indicated that they adhered to current SDG "Most of the time" or "Strictly." Participants who performed greater levels of physical activity experienced lower levels of depression-like symptoms when age, sex, and education were accounted for; however, no relationship between physical activity and anxiety-like symptoms was found. A hierarchical regression analysis that incorporated the intensity of physical activity performed (light, moderate, and vigorous) in the model indicated that greater light and strenuous activity, but not moderate, predicted lower depression-like symptoms.ConclusionsThese results suggest that performing even light physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic may help alleviate some of the negative mental health impacts that older adults may be experiencing while isolated and adhering to SDG during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC7831892 | biostudies-literature