Resilience and coping strategies of older adults in Hong Kong during COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study

Abstract

Background Despite the adverse physical health impact of COVID-19 on older adults, whether they are psychosocially vulnerable under the pandemic remains debatable. In this mixed methods study, we examined the psychosocial vulnerability of older adults relative to their younger counterparts and explored how they coped with the pandemic. Methods From September to October 2020, 1067 adults in Hong Kong were randomly sampled and completed a telephone survey, whereas 10 older adults were recruited for individual interviews between September 2020 and April 2021. Quantitative measurements included subjective well-being, worries about COVID-19, and changes in social capital and social interaction since the pandemic. The transcribed qualitative data were closely read and summarized using thematic analyses. Results Compared with younger adults, older adults tended to be less worried about COVID-19 infection and economic activity/livelihood, despite being slightly more worried about supplies of personal protective equipment. They also had better subjective well-being in terms of happiness and life satisfaction, with their social capital and social interaction less affected. In addition, five themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: (1) life philosophy; (2) economic security; (3) telecommunication; (4) role of community organizations and social workers; and (5) positive coping strategies. Conclusions Older adults in this study showed better psychosocial well-being than their younger counterparts under the COVID-19 pandemic, which challenged the deeply rooted societal stereotype about the vulnerability of older adults. The stronger resilience for positive coping, technological assistance, and targeted government and community support may have protected older adults from distress during the pandemic.

Iranian older adults women: The Impact of COVID-19 and Coping Strategies

“…It seems that given their age, at that moment, they did not think much about their death or life. The results presented in this manuscript confirm the findings of Chan et al ( 2022 ).…”

A multidimensional approach to the resilience in older adults despite COVID-19

“…Although women life expectancy is higher than men, women are overrepresented in this study and a wider range of men sample is needed. In addition, the are some variables not explored in this study, like religion [ 56 ], chronic medical illness [ 57 ] and economic security [ 58 ]. Moreover, we did not include established QoL indicators, and the internal consistency of personal growth is weak and for this reason the results could be not generalized.…”

“…For example, internet cognitive behavior therapy was tested, and it was useful and cost-effective [ 61 ], and also helped to treat insomnia [ 62 ] and even avoid the spread of the infection during the pandemic situation [ 63 ]. Moreover, the use of life-story review can reduce depression in older adults and can help them to review their life, providing an emotional catharsis and strengthen resilience [ 58 ]. However, the digital divide in older people should be solved to assure the accessibility to online interventions [ 20 ].…”

“…However, the digital divide in older people should be solved to assure the accessibility to online interventions [ 20 ]. Moreover, the use of life-story review can reduce depression in older adults and can help them to review their life, providing an emotional catharsis and strengthen resilience [ 58 ]. Finally, it would be very useful if resilience could be assessed along their lives and these programs were designed in collaboration with the older adult [ 64 ].…”

Inequalities in Psychiatric Morbidity in Hong Kong and Strategies for Mitigation

“…Given the time lag of our study, the observed apparent social gradients of mental illnesses could be further exacerbated by social unrest and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic [ 44 ], which is alarming and warrants policy actions. Recent studies found that the COVID-19 pandemic had serious impacts on individual mental health and socioeconomic inequality as mental health still exists during the pandemic, both internationally [ 45 , 46 ] and in Hong Kong [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Specifically, deprived individuals had worse mental health scores via concerns over livelihood and economic activity (e.g., unemployment or job instability), which were likely to be exacerbated by the stringent COVID-19 containment measures in Hong Kong [ 47 , 48 ].…”