Resource loss and mental health during COVID‐19: Psychosocial protective factors among U.S. older adults and those with chronic disease

Abstract

Across the globe, COVID‐19 has disproportionately affected the physical and mental health of several vulnerable groups. In a series of two cross‐sectional studies conducted April to July 2020, we examined its acute mental health effects on two vulnerable U.S. community samples—home‐bound older adults who were at or below the poverty line (Study 1, N = 293, M age = 76.94, SD = 8.64; 75.1% female, 67.9% Black) and adults with chronic disease (Study 2, N = 322, M age = 62.20, SD = 12.22; 46.3% female, 28.3% racial/ethnic minorities). Based on the conservation of resources theory, we hypothesised that pandemic‐related resource loss would be associated with greater mental distress, but perceived social support and positive psychological characteristics (trait resilience and optimism) would buffer against this adverse effect. Across both samples of vulnerable adults, pandemic‐related resource loss was related to mental distress. Perceived social support was related to lower mental distress but did not consistently buffer the effect of resource loss on mental health. However, in Study 2, both trait resilience and optimism buffered this relationship. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the conservation of resources theory.

Prior psychosocial profile and perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

“…Our findings add to recent observations on the relevance of strong prior social networks, as well as current social support and mindfulness for protection of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic period [ 16 , 17 ]. Consistent with other work, which found psychosocial characteristics such as personal mastery and other resource measures negatively correlated with pandemic related psychological burden in all adults [ 18 ], vulnerable adults [ 19 ], and older adults [ 20 ], BLSA participants with more personal resources including awareness of their need for social support and high personal mastery tended to report pandemic impacts incorporating positive perspectives.…”

Using an Intersectional Lens on Vulnerability and Resilience in Minority and/or Marginalized Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review

“…Resilience was experienced as a person-by-context interaction from a United States perspective ( Herbers et al, 2021 ), thus highlighting that the context and the environment are detrimental in an individual’s display or activation of resilience. A United States study also showed that optimism and resilience as traits were beneficial, as these characteristics buffered the impact of loss of resources on mental health in the elderly and chronically ill people ( McElroy-Heltzel et al, 2022 ).…”

Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

“…However, awareness of perceived silver linings, particularly those related to social cohesion, safety and security and others influencing perceived agency are important to incorporate and prioritise into public health strategies as the country responds to the evolving pandemic. People with chronic disease are more vulnerable to mental health issues and there is a growing body of literature on mental illness in people with chronic disease during the pandemic [33,34].…”