Who is lonely in lockdown? Cross-cohort analyses of predictors of loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research-Practice Partnership to Develop and Implement Routine Mental Health Symptom Tracking Tool Among Older Adults During COVID-19

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.

Fear of COVID-19 is associated with trust, subjective numeracy, and differentially with loneliness in older versus younger adults

Introduction

The emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting public health emergency are only beginning to be understood.

Methods

We assessed the contributions of emotional and cognitive factors and age-related comorbidities to greater COVID-19 fear in a community dwelling sample of 142 younger (Mage = 19.63, SDage = 2.59) and 157 older (Mage = 72.01, SDage = 7.06) adults, between July 2020 and July 2021. We hypothesized that individuals with increased loneliness, depression, and/or decreased subjective numeracy (SN) and interpersonal trust would experience more COVID-19 fear. We also predicted that females and older adults would experience more COVID-19 fear given that age-related comorbidities are associated with increased illness severity.

Results

Results showed that the extent of loneliness in older adults was more strongly related to fear of COVID-19 than it was in younger adults (β = 0.197, p = 0.016), and poorer SN was associated with increased COVID-19 fear in both age groups (β = -0.138, p = 0.016). Further, higher interpersonal mistrust was associated with increased COVID-19 fear (β = 0.136, p = 0.039), as was identifying as female (β = 0.137, p = 0.013).

Discussion

Given that self-described poor numeracy was a marker for greater COVID-19 fear, investigators and policy makers might consider mitigation opportunities addressing data literacy requirements imposed by the media. Further, outreach to mitigate loneliness, particularly of the elderly, might effectively lessen the negative psychological impact of this ongoing public health crisis.

The conditional effect of family resilience on family quality of life during the Covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, both economically and psychologically, to most families across the world. Yet, little study has been done on this topic in Indonesia, even after the second year of the pandemic. This study examines how the Covid-19 economic impact and parental stress are related to the family quality of life (FQOL) and how the relation is moderated by family resilience. Methods: To this end, we employed previously tested measures to assess the level of parental stress, family resilience and FQOL. Especially for the latter, we modified the measure, developed by Beach Center on Disability, by including only four domains (i.e., family interaction, parenting, emotional well-being, and material well-being) to adjust to our research context. Results: Based on 169 participants, our confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) displays that all employed measures in the study are valid and reliable. Our regression analysis shows that there are significant direct relations of parental stress & family resilience with FQOL. However, we find that family resilience only positively moderates the relation between the Covid-19 economic impact and FQOL but not the relation between parental stress and FOQL; indicating that high family resilience can only buffer the effect of economic impact on FQOL. Discussion: This study presents a view on how the Covid-19 pandemic affects the way families live and hence, their quality of life. In addition, the findings suggest the importance of family relationship and support in times of crisis, not limited to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The conditional effect of family resilience on family quality of life during the Covid-19 pandemic

Introduction This study examines how the Covid-19 economic impact and parental stress are moderated by family resilience to relate to the family quality of life (FQOL). Methods We modify the measure of FQOL, developed by Beach Center on Disability, by including only four domains (i.e., family interaction, parenting, emotional well-being, and material well-being) to adjust to our research context. Results Based on 169 participants, our CFA displays that all employed measures in the study are valid and reliable. Our regression analysis shows that there are significant direct relations of parental stress & family resilience with family quality of life. However, we find that family resilience only positively moderates the relation between the Covid-19 economic impact and family quality of life. Discussion This study presents a view on how the Covid-19 pandemic affects the way families live and hence, their quality of life.

The conditional effect of family resilience on family quality of life during the Covid-19 pandemic

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, both economically and psychologically, to most families across the world. Yet, little study has been done on this topic in Indonesia, even after the second year of the pandemic. This study examines how the Covid-19 economic impact and parental stress are related to the family quality of life (FQOL) and how the relation is moderated by family resilience. Methods: To this end, we employed previously tested measures to assess the level of parental stress, family resilience and FQOL. Especially for the latter, we modified the measure, developed by Beach Center on Disability, by including only four domains (i.e., family interaction, parenting, emotional well-being, and material well-being) to adjust to our research context. Results: Based on 169 participants, our CFA displays that all employed measures in the study are valid and reliable. Our regression analysis shows that there are significant direct relations of parental stress & family resilience with family quality of life. However, we find that family resilience only positively moderates the relation between the Covid-19 economic impact and family quality of life. Discussion: This study presents a view on how the Covid-19 pandemic affects the way families live and hence, their quality of life. In addition, the findings suggest the importance of family relationship and support in times of crisis, not limited to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Impact of loneliness on health-related factors in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study

COVID-19 pandemic and its associated social and physical distancing restrictions may have had a severe impact on health. In the present study, we investigate the changes in physical, social and mental health, as well as the health literacy of Australians subsequent to the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, and examine the influence of loneliness on these health-related factors. Using a retrospective cross-sectional study design, 607 Australian adults completed a self-report online survey which assessed their health-related factors before and after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (data collected between June 2020 to November 2020). Australians reported statistically significant increase in a number of (poorer) health-related factors (e.g., weight gain, sleeping difficulties, poor somatic health, higher loneliness, more issues navigating the healthcare system) post onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Further, after adjusting for covariates, higher loneliness during pandemic predicted poorer health-related outcomes (e.g., more somatic health complaints, poorer quality of diet, poorer social support for health). The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated social and physical distancing restrictions may have contributed towards poorer health-related factors among Australian adults. Further, increased loneliness during the pandemic may have further worsened physical health and health literacy outcomes among Australians.

The Insomnia and Loneliness of Elderly Individuals and Affecting Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey

This study aims to examine the loneliness and sleep problems of older people and the variables during the COVID-19 in Turkey pandemic and the variables that affect them. Snowball sampling was used in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. Google forms, personal information form, the UCLA Loneliness Scale III and the Insomnia Severity Index were used to collect data in December 2020. The questionnaire link was disseminated by e-mail and social media. By clicking the link, the participants were automatically directed to information about the study and received informed consent forms. The participants were urged to send the questionnaire to as many individuals as they could. This research was conducted with 412 participants. Education level and perceived health status affected their loneliness. The older people had loneliness and sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these problems were affected by sociodemographic variables. Loneliness and insomnia are positively correlated, and loneliness affects the severity of insomnia.

Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation

Existing theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people's psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40-64 years) and older individuals (65-79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a "risk group," particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults' satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults.

High levels of psychosocial distress among Australian frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound and prolonged impact on healthcare services and healthcare workers.

Aims

The Australian COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers Study aimed to investigate the severity and prevalence of mental health issues, as well as the social, workplace and financial disruptions experienced by Australian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A nationwide, voluntary, anonymous, single timepoint, online survey was conducted between 27 August and 23 October 2020. Individuals self-identifying as frontline healthcare workers in secondary or primary care were invited to participate. Participants were recruited through health organisations, professional associations or colleges, universities, government contacts and national media. Demographics, home and work situation, health and psychological well-being data were collected.

Results

A total of 9518 survey responses were received; of the 9518 participants, 7846 (82.4%) participants reported complete data. With regard to age, 4110 (52.4%) participants were younger than 40 years; 6344 (80.9%) participants were women. Participants were nurses (n=3088, 39.4%), doctors (n=2436, 31.1%), allied health staff (n=1314, 16.7%) or in other roles (n=523, 6.7%). In addition, 1250 (15.9%) participants worked in primary care. Objectively measured mental health symptoms were common: mild to severe anxiety (n=4694, 59.8%), moderate to severe burnout (n=5458, 70.9%) and mild to severe depression (n=4495, 57.3%). Participants were highly resilient (mean (SD)=3.2 (0.66)). Predictors for worse outcomes on all scales included female gender; younger age; pre-existing psychiatric condition; experiencing relationship problems; nursing, allied health or other roles; frontline area; being worried about being blamed by colleagues and working with patients with COVID-19.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with significant mental health symptoms in frontline healthcare workers. Crisis preparedness together with policies and practices addressing psychological well-being are needed.