A loneliness model of hypochondriasis among older adults: The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and anxious symptoms

Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Obsession with COVID-19 among Older Adults

During the COVID-19 pandemic, older people were socially isolated for their protection against the virus impacting their mental health. Aiming to explore the role of loneliness and social isolation in the obsession with COVID-19 among older adults, we conducted an anonymous online survey with 300 older adults aged 65-80 years in South Korea between January and February 2023. The survey collected demographic information, past psychiatric history, medical disease, current psychological distress, and experiences related to COVID-19. Rating scales were the Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS), Coronavirus Reassurance-seeking Behaviors Scale (CRBS), Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items (SAVE-6), and Loneliness and Social Isolation Scale (LSIS). The regression analysis revealed that CRBS (β = 0.55, p < 0.001) and SAVE-6 (β = 0.34, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of obsession with COVID-19 (adjusted R2 = 0.63, F = 126.9, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that loneliness and social isolation had a positive total effect on obsession with COVID-19, mediated by reassurance-seeking behavior and viral anxiety (Standardized Estimator = 0.21, standard error = 0.05, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval 0.20-0.41). Loneliness and social isolation were found to be indirectly linked to obsession with COVID-19 through reassurance-seeking behavior and viral anxiety. The findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness and social isolation among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent obsession with COVID-19.

Changes in loneliness prevalence and its associated factors among Bangladeshi older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aims

Worldwide, loneliness is one of the most common psychological phenomena among older adults, adversely affecting their physical and mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess changes in the prevalence of loneliness in the two timeframes (first and second waves of COVID-19 in Bangladesh) and identify its correlates in pooled data.

Methods

This repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on two successive occasions (October 2020 and September 2021), overlapping with the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted remotely through telephone interviews among 2077 (1032 in the 2020-survey and 1045 in the 2021-survey) older Bangladeshi adults aged 60 years and above. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness scale. The binary logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with loneliness in pooled data.

Results

We found a decline in the loneliness prevalence among the participants in two survey rounds (51.5% in 2021 versus 45.7% in 2020; P = 0.008), corresponding to 33% lower odds in the 2021-survey (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.54–0.84). Still, nearly half of the participants were found to be lonely in the latest survey. We also found that, compared to their respective counterparts, the odds of loneliness were significantly higher among the participants without a partner (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.20–2.08), with a monthly family income less than 5000 BDT (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.58–3.47), who lived alone (AOR 2.17, 95% CI 1.34–3.51), with poor memory or concentration (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.23–2.03), and suffering from non-communicable chronic conditions (AOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.23–1.95). Various COVID-19-related characteristics, such as concern about COVID-19 (AOR 1.28, 95% CI 0.94–1.73), overwhelm by COVID-19 (AOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.14–2.06), difficulty earning (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.54–2.59), and receiving routine medical care during COVID-19 (AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.61–2.68), and perception that the participants required additional care during the pandemic (AOR 2.93, 95% CI 2.27–3.79) were also associated with significantly higher odds of loneliness. However, the odds of loneliness were significantly lower among the participants with formal schooling (AOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57–0.89) and with a family of more than four members (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60–0.96).

Conclusions

The current study found a decreased prevalence of loneliness among Bangladeshi older adults during the ongoing pandemic. However, the prevalence is still very high. The findings suggest the need for mental health interventions that may include improving social interactions increasing opportunities for meaningful social connections with family and community members and providing psychosocial support to the vulnerable population including older adults during the pandemic. It also suggests that policymakers and public health practitioners should emphasise providing mental health services at the peripheral level where the majority of older adults reside.

Psychological well-being and coping strategies of elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary

OBJECTIVE

During COVID-19 lockdown the enforced social isolation and other pandemic-related changes highly increased the risk of mental health problems. We aimed to discover how elderly people coped with the psychological burdens of pandemic and the social isolation in Hungary.

METHODS

This study included 589 (441 females) Hungarian individuals, aged 60-83 (M = 68.1, SD = 4.46). We collected online survey data to reach a wide population of elderly. Results of hierarchical linear modelling and structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses established how the current life-changing circumstances, the intolerance of uncertainty, loneliness and social support influence the mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, well-being) of the elderly. The model was used to explore how adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies mediated the effects.

RESULTS

Findings showed that perceived change in mood, social connectedness, and quality of life was negatively affected by catastrophizing and loneliness; whereas positive refocusing and contamination fear had a positive effect. According to the SEM analysis, intolerance of uncertainty and loneliness directly affected mental health. Further, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies mediated the connection between intolerance of uncertainty, contamination fear, loneliness and mental health. Whereas adaptive emotion regulation strategy mediated the connection between social support from friends, contamination fear, loneliness and mental health.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our research might help the understanding of how external and internal factors contributed to the well-being of elderly people during the COVID-19. The model can also be translated into professional interventions to develop coping strategies among elderly for the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic in their lives.

Illness anxiety disorder and its relationship with social health in the elderly, Isfahan, Iran

Background:

The present study investigated the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder and its relationship with social health in the elderly population.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 elderly people in Isfahan referred to the educational health service in 2020. In addition to demographic characteristics, they answered the 36-item Evans hypochondriasis questionnaire and the 28-item social health questionnaire.

Results:

Four hundred elderly participants with a mean age of 68.1 ± 6.6 (range: 60–89) were included in the study. One hundred and ninety-nine (49.8%) were female and 201 (50.3%) were male. Only 24.3% of the geriatrics were in the healthy group and 21.2% in the borderline category. Seventy-two of the geriatric population (18%) had poor social health and 299 of this population (74.8%) had moderate social health, and the social health status of 29 elderlies (7.3%) was favorable. There was an inverse relationship between hypochondriasis score and total social health score and its dimensions (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

High prevalence of hypochondriasis was observed in the geriatrics compared to global studies. Most of the elderly population had moderate social health. Gender and education do not affect hypochondriasis and social health in the elderly. People with higher social health scores were clearly less likely to get hypochondriasis. Therefore, by improving the various dimensions of social health of the geriatrics, we can help reduce the prevalence of hypochondriasis in this age group.

Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Older Adults With Chronic Conditions

The COVID-19 pandemic may intensify loneliness among older adults with chronic conditions who are at high risk of severe illness, but little is known about factors associated with loneliness during the pandemic. We considered factors linked to loneliness among 701 adults aged 50 years and older with chronic conditions from Michigan (82.5%) and 33 other U.S. states. Participants completed an anonymous online survey between May 14 and July 9, 2020. About two thirds (66.4%) reported moderate to severe loneliness. The fully adjusted regression model revealed that being a person of color, having a spouse or cohabiting partner, and more emotional support were associated with lower levels of loneliness. Higher anxiety symptoms, more worry about COVID-19 infection, and more financial strain because of the pandemic were linked to greater loneliness. These findings inform strategies to support a vulnerable subgroup of older adults during this pandemic and in future public health crises.

Body image satisfaction and loneliness among young adult and older adult age cohorts

BACKGROUND

Lower body image satisfaction has been linked with greater loneliness among young adults, but this relationship has not been investigated among older adults.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between body image and loneliness among young and older adult age cohorts as well as explore stigma consciousness as a mediator between body image dissatisfaction and loneliness among older adults.

METHODS

Participants consisting of 459 young adults and 353 older adults over the age of 59 completed a cross-sectional survey regarding health and perceptions of aging from fall 2017 through spring 2018.

RESULTS

Young adults had lower levels of body image satisfaction and higher levels of loneliness in comparison to older adults. The relationship between loneliness and body image satisfaction was stronger among young adults when compared to older adults. Among older adults, stigma consciousness mediated the relationship between body image satisfaction and loneliness.

CONCLUSION

Older adults lower in body image satisfaction may be more conscious of age-based stigmas and thereby have greater loneliness.