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Lara-Cinisomo S, Melesse B, Mendy ME. Demographic and COVID-19-Related Factors Associated with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Among African American and Latina Women in a Midwestern State. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:36-44. [PMID: 36622569 PMCID: PMC9838266 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01495-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated racial and ethnic disparities among Latina and African American (AA) women, including risk factors for depression and anxiety. This study sought to identify demographic- and pandemic-related factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adult AA and Latina women living in a Midwestern state. METHODS Data for this secondary analysis of 1037 AA and Latina women were collected in May 2020 and June/July 2020. Participants completed an online survey about their demographic characteristics, job changes due to COVID-19, general concern about COVID-19, concern about the effects COVID-19 on their mental health, and whether they prayed to cope with COVID-19. Linear regressions with bootstrapping were conducted to determine associations. RESULTS Latinas had significantly higher depressive and anxiety symptoms than AA women. Older age was a buffer against depressive and anxiety symptoms. Women who anticipated a reduction in work hours or job loss had significantly higher depressive and anxiety symptoms than those with no job changes. A reduction in work hours was also a risk for higher depressive symptoms. General and specific concerns about the impact of COVID-19 were positively associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. Race/ethnicity moderated the effect of praying to cope with COVID-19 on depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS As the pandemic continues, mental health resources should be allocated to help AA and Latina women who experienced or anticipate reductions in paid hours and those concerned about its effects. Research is needed to identify how praying increased depressive symptoms in adult Latina women early in the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. Fourth Street, 2015 Khan Annex, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.
| | - Biniyam Melesse
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. Fourth Street, 2015 Khan Annex, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Mendy
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 S. Fourth Street, 2015 Khan Annex, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
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Urmanche AA, Solomonov N, Sankin LS, Subramanyam A, Pedreza-Cumba M, Scaduto L, Garcia J, Jockers K, Wolf R, Sirey JA. Research-Practice Partnership to Develop and Implement Routine Mental Health Symptom Tracking Tool Among Older Adults During COVID-19. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2023; 31:326-337. [PMID: 36641298 PMCID: PMC9788852 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2022.12.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Older adults are disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a mental health crisis in late life, due to physical restrictions (e.g., quarantine), limited access to services, and lower literacy and access to technology. Despite established benefits, systematic screening of mental health needs of older adults in community and routine care settings is limited and presents multiple challenges. Cross-disciplinary collaborations are essential for identification and evaluation of mental health needs and service delivery. METHODS Using a research-practice partnership model, we developed and implemented a routine mental health needs identification and tracking tool at a community-based social services organization. Repeated screenings were conducted remotely over 5 months and included depression, anxiety, perceived loneliness, social support, and related domains such as sleep quality, resilience, and trauma symptoms linked to COVID-19. We examined symptomatic distress levels and associations between different domains of functioning. RESULTS Our project describes the process of establishing a research-practice partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected 292 screenings from 124 individuals; clients were mildly to moderately depressed and anxious, reporting large amounts of time alone and moderate levels of loneliness. Those reporting higher depressive symptoms reported higher anxiety symptoms, poorer sleep quality, lower quality of life, lower capacity to adapt to challenging situations, and greater trauma symptoms due to COVID-19. CONCLUSION Our routine screening tool can serve as a blueprint for case management agencies and senior centers nationwide, beyond the pressing mental health crisis due to COVID-19, to continue identifying needs as they emerge in the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelya A Urmanche
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAU, NS, LSS, JAS), Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY; Mount Sinai Beth Israel (AAU), New York, NY
| | - Nili Solomonov
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAU, NS, LSS, JAS), Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Lindsey S Sankin
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAU, NS, LSS, JAS), Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | | | - Ken Jockers
- Hudson Guild (AS, MPC, LS, JG, KJ, RW), New York, NY
| | - Robert Wolf
- Hudson Guild (AS, MPC, LS, JG, KJ, RW), New York, NY
| | - Jo Anne Sirey
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAU, NS, LSS, JAS), Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
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Huang HY, Li H, Hsu Y. Coping, COVID knowledge, communication, and HBCU student's emotional well-being: Mediating role of perceived control and social connectedness. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 50:2703-2725. [PMID: 35187691 PMCID: PMC9088254 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic has disproportionately affected African American college students, who have experienced significant work-related, academic, financial, and socio-emotional challenges due to COVID-19. The purpose of the study is to investigate how African American students cope with the severe impact of COVID-19 on their emotional well-being leveraging the benefits of self-care coping measures, COVID-19 knowledge, and communication with others to enhance perceived control and social connectedness. A structural equation modeling and a path analysis of 254 responses from a Historically Black College and University showed that emotional well-being was positively predicted by self-care coping strategies, feelings of being in control in life, and social connectedness. In addition, respondents who adopted mind-body balance coping strategies, those who are knowledgeable about COVID-19, and those in more constant communication with others attained a strong sense of being in control, and in turn the empowerment increased their emotional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsuan Yuan Huang
- School of Journalism and Graphic CommunicationFlorida A&M UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Huijun Li
- Department of PsychologyFlorida A&M UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Ying‐Chia Hsu
- Murrow College of CommunicationWashington State UniversityPullmanWashingtonUSA
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Levine JM. Mahjong and the benefits of social engagement. J Am Geriatr Soc 2022; 70:3047-3048. [PMID: 35608358 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Levine
- Geriatric Medicine & Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Radino A, Tarantino V. Impact of physical activity on response to stress in people aged 65 and over during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Psychogeriatrics 2022; 22:227-235. [PMID: 35021264 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the lives of many people. In particular, restrictions of physical activity (PA) due to pandemic-related lockdown have impacted their psychological status. The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between PA habits, before the pandemic and during the lockdown, and responses to stress due to home isolation during the lockdown, in older people. METHODS To this aim, an online survey addressed to people aged 65 years and over was conducted during the first pandemic wave in Italy (Study 1). To explore the effect of PA restrictions on responses to stress over time, the survey was replicated during the second wave (Study 2). A group of 72 and 43 participants, from 65 to 88 years, completed the two studies, respectively. The survey required the completion of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and of two questionnaires on stress response, namely, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Perceived Stress Scale. The correlation between the questionnaires' scores was examined. RESULTS Study 1 demonstrated that higher levels of PA during the lockdown, related to working and walking activities, were associated with fewer stress-related symptoms and lower stress perception. In parallel, greater reduction of PA, during lockdown compared to the pre-pandemic period, was associated with more stress-related symptoms. People who spent more time at rest (sitting) before and during the pandemic lockdown were those who showed higher psychological impact. Study 2 confirmed the benefits of maintaining working activities during lockdown, but also showed that during the second pandemic wave people were more resilient to PA restrictions and home isolation, even if conducting a sedentary lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS Maintaining good levels of PA during lockdown was a protective factor against developing stress-related symptoms in older people. On the other hand, more resilient response to stress emerged in this population during the second wave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Radino
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenza Tarantino
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Loneliness, physical activity, and mental health during COVID-19: a longitudinal analysis of depression and anxiety in adults over the age of 50 between 2015 and 2020. Int Psychogeriatr 2021; 33:505-514. [PMID: 33327988 PMCID: PMC7985900 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610220004135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Loneliness and physical activity are important targets for research into the impact of COVID-19 because they have established links with mental health, could be exacerbated by social distancing policies, and are potentially modifiable. In this study, we aimed to identify whether loneliness and physical activity were associated with worse mental health during a period of mandatory social distancing in the UK. DESIGN Population-based observational cohort study. SETTING Mental health data collected online during COVID-19 from an existing sample of adults aged 50 and over taking part in a longitudinal study of aging. All had comparable annual data collected between 2015 and 2019. PARTICIPANTS Three-thousand two-hundred and eighty-one participants aged 50 and over. MEASUREMENTS Trajectories of depression (measured by PHQ-9) and anxiety (measured by GAD-7) between 2015 and 2020 were analyzed with respect to loneliness, physical activity levels, and a number of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics using zero-inflated negative binomial regression. RESULTS In 2020, PHQ-9 score for loneliness, adjusted for covariates, was 3.23 (95% CI: 3.01-3.44), an increase of around 1 point on all previous years in this group and 2 points higher than people not rated lonely, whose score did not change in 2020 (1.22, 95% CI: 1.12-1.32). PHQ-9 was 2.60 (95% CI: 2.43-2.78) in people with decreased physical activity, an increase of .5 on previous years. In contrast, PHQ-9 in 2020 for people whose physical activity had not decreased was 1.66, 95% CI: 1.56-1.75, similar to previous years. A similar relationship was observed for GAD-7 though the absolute burden of symptoms lower. CONCLUSION After accounting for pre-COVID-19 trends, we show that experiencing loneliness and decreased physical activity are risk factors for worsening mental health during the pandemic. Our findings highlight the need to examine policies which target these potentially modifiable risk factors.
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