Hitting Close to Home: The Effect of COVID-19 Illness in the Social Environment on Psychological Burden in Older Adults

Abstract

This study examines the impact of COVID-19 experience of infection in the individual’s social environment on psychological burden controlling for a broad range of factors using data on an older population (50+ years). Based on the empirical evidence of preexisting studies, it is hypothesized that psychological burden will increase concurrent to the severity of COVID-19 experience (tested positive, hospitalized, and death) independent of the other stressors resulting from the pandemic, such as a subjective sense of uncertainty or financial burden. Data of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in EUROPE, and a European cross-national panel study were used to examine this hypothesis. Besides Chi2 test and Spearman’s rho, a logistic regression model was constructed to test the hypothesized model. The study confirms that there is significantly higher risk for psychological burden by heightened COVID-19 severity in the social environment independent of multiple also significantly influential variables depicting stressors to everyday life of older people during the pandemic. The results point to the importance of multiple factors (social, financial, health, and sociodemographic) which have significantly affected the psychological condition of the individual during the past year. Conclusively, the results illustrate the dilemma that infection and illness in the social circle, as well as countermeasures (social distancing), have negative consequences for our mental health.

Health Service Accessibility, Mental Health, and Changes in Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Older Adults

“…The results indicate the importance of multiple factors that have significantly affected psychological conditions during the past year. These results illustrate the dilemma that infection and illness in the social circle, as well as their countermeasures (social distancing), have negative consequences for our mental health [ 50 ].…”

“…Inevitably, the pandemic caused individuals to go through situations that require adaptability to new roles. For example, chronic illnesses can threaten older adults’ well-being and also motivate them to seek out, or perhaps reaffirm, their purpose in life as a way to adapt to and overcome such illnesses [ 50 ].…”

For Better or for Worse? A Scoping Review of the Relationship between Internet Use and Mental Health in Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…However, due to these restrictions, the older people no longer received the social and emotional support that they had previously gained from social activities and interactions. Consequently, older people are at a higher risk of developing mental health issues such as loneliness, social isolation, and depression throughout the pandemic period [ 3 , 4 ]. According to Polenick and colleagues, in a sample of 701 older adults aged 50 and above living with morbidity from the United States, more than half (66.4%) of them had moderate to severe levels of loneliness.…”

Old dogs can learn new tricks. Loro viejo sí aprende a hablar. Evidence from the United Kingdom and Colombia.

“…In addition, older adults were most impacted by the health and safety measures, especially from the lockdown and social distancing. It is well-known that there are additional impacts of COVID-19 such as mental health problems, ageism, and increased family disruption (Bailey et al, 2021;Dahlberg, 2021;Derrer-Merk et al, 2022a;Krendl et al, 2021;Richter et al, 2021;Swift & Chasteen, 2021). In consequence, this has forced older adults to a lifestyle change, which in some cases may lead to a potentially higher vulnerability and psychosocial threats such as loneliness or isolation (Dubey et al, 2020).…”