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COVID-19, Inter-household Contact and Mental Well-Being Among Older Adults in the US and the UK.

ABSTRACT: Interacting with family members and friends from other households is a key part of everyday life and is crucial to people's mental well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic severely curtailed face-to-face contact between households, particularly for older adults (aged 60 and above), due to their high risk of developing severe illness if infected by COVID-19. In-person contact, where possible, was largely replaced by virtual interaction during the pandemic. This article examines how inter-household contact in face-to-face and virtual forms, as well as combinations of the two forms of contact, related to older adults' mental well-being during the pandemic. Data from two national longitudinal surveys, collected from the same respondents before (2018-2019) and during (June 2020) the pandemic, were comparatively analysed: the Health and Retirement Study in the US and Understanding Society in the UK. The findings showed a notable increase in loneliness in the US and a decline in general mental well-being in the UK following the outbreak of COVID-19. In both countries, more frequent inter-household face-to-face contact during the pandemic was associated with better general mental well-being, but inter-household virtual contact, via means such as telephone and digital media, was not associated with general mental well-being in either the US or the UK. In the US, older adults who engaged more frequently in virtual contact were more likely to feel lonely during the pandemic, particularly if their face-to-face contact was limited. In both countries, the increase in loneliness following the outbreak of the pandemic was greater for older adults who reported more virtual contact. The findings suggest that household-centred crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic had unintended mental health implications in both the US and the UK, despite contextual differences between the two countries. Although face-to-face contact between households helped to sustain older adults' mental well-being, virtual contact was not a qualitatively equivalent alternative. The findings also provide an important evidence base for informing policy developments and for supporting the mental health of older people during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the longer term.

SUBMITTER: Hu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8350320 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundChanges in sleep, physical activity and mental health were observed in older adults during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we describe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adult mental health, wellbeing, and lifestyle behaviors and explore predictors of better mid-pandemic mental health and wellbeing.MethodsParticipants in the Adult Changes in Thought study completed measures of lifestyle behaviors (e.g., sleep, physical activity) and mental health and wellbeing both pre-pandemic during regular study visits and mid-pandemic via a one-time survey. We used paired t-tests to compare differences in these measures pre- vs. mid-pandemic. Using multivariate linear regression, we further explored demographic, health, and lifestyle predictors of pandemic depressive symptoms, social support, and fatigue. We additionally qualitatively coded free text data from the mid-pandemic survey for related comments.ResultsParticipants (N = 896) reported significant changes in mental health and lifestyle behaviors at pre-pandemic vs. mid-pandemic measurements (p < 0.0001). Qualitative findings supported these behavioral and wellbeing changes. Being male, never smoking, and lower pre-pandemic computer time and sleep disturbance were significantly associated with lower pandemic depressive symptoms. Being partnered, female, never smoking, and lower pre-pandemic sleep disturbance were associated with higher pandemic social support. Pre-pandemic employment, more walking, less computer time, and less sleep disturbance were associated with less pandemic fatigue. Participant comments supported these quantitative findings, highlighting gender differences in pandemic mental health, changes in computer usage and physical activity during the pandemic, the value of spousal social support, and links between sleep disturbance and mental health and wellbeing. Qualitative findings also revealed additional factors, such as stresses from personal and family health situations and the country's concurrent political environment, that impacted mental health and wellbeing.ConclusionsSeveral demographic, health, and lifestyle behaviors appeared to buffer the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and may be key sources of resilience. Interventions and public health measures targeting men and unpartnered individuals could promote social support resilience, and intervening on modifiable behaviors like sleep quality, physical activity and sedentary activities like computer time may promote resilience to fatigue and depressive symptoms during future community stressor events. Further research into these relationships is warranted.

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COVID-19, Inter-household Contact and Mental Well-Being Among Older Adults in the US and the UK.

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