Objectives To investigate early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic related to 1) levels of worry, risk perception, and social distancing; 2) longitudinal effects on wellbeing; and 3) effects of worry, risk perception, and social distancing on wellbeing. Methods We analyzed annual changes in four aspects of wellbeing over five years (2015–2020): life satisfaction, financial satisfaction, self-rated health, and loneliness in a subsample (n=1071, aged 60–71) from a larger survey of Swedish older adults. The 2020 wave, collected March 26–April 2, included measures of worry, risk perception, and social distancing in response to COVID-19. Results 1) In relation to COVID-19: 44.9% worried about health, 69.5% about societal consequences, 25.1% about financial consequences; 86.4% perceived a high societal risk, 42.3% a high risk of infection, and 71.2% reported high levels of social distancing. 2) Wellbeing remained stable (life satisfaction and loneliness) or even increased (self-rated health and financial satisfaction) in 2020 compared to previous years. 3) More worry about health and financial consequences was related to lower scores in all four wellbeing measures. Higher societal worry and more social distancing were related to higher wellbeing. Discussion In the early stage of the pandemic, Swedish older adults on average rated their wellbeing as high as, or even higher than, previous years. However, those who worried more reported lower wellbeing. Our findings speak to the resilience, but also heterogeneity, among older adults during the pandemic. Further research, on a broad range of health factors and long-term psychological consequences, is needed.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the practical and theoretical importance of numeracy in evaluations and choices involving numeric information, an importance that goes beyond simple accuracy in performing mathematical computations. Numeric competency, however, may be multiply determined, but little research has examined potentially separable influences in evaluations and choice. In the present article, we describe 3 numeric competencies and begin to disentangle their effects. Participants (N = 111) completed a series of tasks in 4 1-hr sessions. We first examined relations between objective numeracy, subjective numeracy, and symbolic-number mapping abilities (thought to tap into internal representations of numeric magnitude and the mapping of symbolic numbers onto those representations) using a structural equation model. We then explored their dissociations in numeric and nonnumeric tasks. Higher vs. lower scores in objective numeracy were associated with explicit number operations, including number comparisons and calculations. Those with more vs. less exact mapping had better numeric memory (but not nonnumeric) and produced valuations that were closer to (but did not equal) a risky gamble's expected value, indicating a link with superior number intuitions. Finally, individuals lower vs. higher in subjective numeracy had more negative emotional reactions to numbers and were less motivated and/or confident in numeric tasks. It was less clear whether subjective numeracy might also relate to more general motivations and metacognitions involving nonnumeric information. We conclude that numeric competencies should be used in a more targeted fashion to understand their multiple mechanisms in people's evaluations, choices, and life outcomes.

From an aging research and life-course perspective, the transition to retirement marks a significant life-event and provides a unique opportunity to study psychological health and coping during a period of substantial change in everyday life. The aim of the present paper is to: (a) outline the rationale of the HEalth, Ageing and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study, (b) describe the study sample, and (c) to present some initial results from the two first waves regarding the association between retirement status and psychological health. The HEARTS study is designed to annually study psychological health in the years before and following retirement, and to examine change and stability patterns related to the retirement event. Among a representative Swedish population-based sample of 14,990 individuals aged 60–66 years, 5,913 completed the baseline questionnaire in 2015. The majority of the participants (69%) completed a web-based survey, and the rest (31%) completed a paper version. The baseline HEARTS sample represents the general population well in terms of gender and age, but is more highly educated. Cross-sectional findings from the first wave showed that retired individuals demonstrated better psychological health compared to those who were still working. Longitudinal results from the first and second waves showed that individuals who retired between waves showed more positive changes in psychological health compared with those still working or previously retired.

Objectives: Retirement is a major life transition in the second half of life, and it can be associated with changes in leisure activity engagement. Although theories of retirement adjustment have emphasized the need to find meaningful activities in retirement, little is known about the nature of changes in leisure activity during the retirement transition and their association with mental health. Methods: Based on four annual waves of the 'Health, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden' study, we investigated the longitudinal association of leisure activity engagement and depressive symptoms using bivariate dual change score models. We distinguished intellectual, social, and physical activity engagement. Results: We found increases in all three domains of activity engagement after retirement. Although level and change of activity and depressive symptoms were negatively associated, the coupling parameters were not significant, thus the direction of effects remains unclear. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to consider the role of lifestyle changes for retirement adjustment and mental health.