Emotional, Psychological, and Cognitive Changes Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Is There an Advantage of Being an Older Adult?

Age-related differences on temporal source memory by using dynamic stimuli: the effects of POV and emotional valence

Previous studies have highlighted that temporal source memory can be influenced by factors such as the individual's age and the emotional valence of the event to be remembered. In this study, we investigated how the different points of view (POVs) from which an event is presented could interact with the relationship between age-related differences and emotional valence on temporal source memory. One hundred and forty-one younger adults (aged 18-30) and 90 older adults (aged 65-74) were presented with a series of emotional videos shot from different POVs (first vs. third-person) in three sessions. In the fourth session, participants were asked to indicate in which session (1, 2, or 3) they viewed each video. The results indicated that the first-person POV amplified the effects of the emotional valence on temporal source memory. Only in this experimental condition, older adults "pushed away" negative stimuli by perceiving them as more distant in time, and "kept closer" positive stimuli by perceiving them as more recent. In comparison, younger adults "kept closer" positive stimuli. These findings add to the existing literature on the positivity effect on temporal source memory and highlighted the importance of considering the POV in relation to the emotional valence.

The role of late adolescents' emotion regulation in the experience of COVID-19 lockdown: A longitudinal study

The COVID-19 pandemic may be considered a unique mass-trauma experience. This study examined the relations between Italian late adolescents' emotion regulation strategies, their anxiety states, and their experience of the lockdown (in terms of discomfort related to restrictions, capacities to create new functional daily routines, and to find positive changes in one's own life) during the first wave of this pandemic. We analysed how participants' reports of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression were associated with anxiety states during the 2020 Italian COVID-19 lockdown (large scale physical distancing and movement restrictions) and one month after the lockdown restrictions had been removed. We also examined how cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, and anxiety states were linked to late adolescents' experience of lockdown. The participants were 497 Italian adolescents, aged from 17 to 24 years (Mage  = 21.11, SD = 1.83). A longitudinal structural equation modelling showed that emotion regulation strategies and anxiety states were not associated across time. Cognitive reappraisal was positively associated with routine reorganization and positive changes. In contrast, participants' expressive suppression was negatively related to their discomfort related to restrictions, ability to functionally reorganise their daily routine, and ability to find positive changes related to the COVID-19 emergency. Anxiety was positively linked to discomfort related to restrictions. The findings are discussed in light of the current literature related to emotion regulation and anxiety. Limitations and implications for practice are presented.

Emotion regulation, hope, and optimism during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of age and personality

AIMS

This study examined age-related differences between young and older adults' emotion regulation, hope, and optimism 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak. Whether personality explained such outcomes was also examined.

METHOD

A sample of 228 young adults and 161 older adults was interviewed in April-May 2021 to complete questionnaires assessing cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) emotion regulation strategies use, optimism, hope (agency and pathways components), and personality traits.

RESULTS

Older adults reported greater CR and ES use, optimism, and hope-agency levels than young adults, whereas no age differences emerged for hope-pathway scores. Personality traits (more consistently emotional stability) contributed to explaining CR and ES use, and greater hopeful and optimistic dispositions.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings confirm older adults' advantage in facing the emotional and psychological fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in its third wave. They also underscore the importance of considering personality to depict individual profiles prone to experiencing long-term negative emotional/psychological consequences of emergencies as COVID-19.

The longer-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing and subjective cognitive functioning of older adults in Belgium

In earlier survey research, we observed a severe impact of the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic on the subjective wellbeing, sleep and activity of adults aged 65 years or older in Flanders, Belgium. The impact on subjective cognitive functioning, however, was limited. Since then, periods of lockdown and periods with less strict regulations alternated, but social distancing remained, especially for older adults. To study the longer-term impact of the pandemic on wellbeing and subjective cognitive functioning, we re-assessed the older adults from the first measurement moment (May-June 2020) in a second (June-July 2020) and third (December 2020) wave of the survey (n = 371, M = 72 years old, range 65-97 years old). Results indicated that wellbeing fluctuated with the severity of the pandemic. Results for self-reported cognitive functioning were mixed. While participants indicated a slightly better general subjective cognitive functioning at the end of the study, experienced problems with most cognitive subdomains significantly increased over time. The presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms were related to the longer-term impact of the pandemic on wellbeing and subjective cognitive functioning. Our study shows the long-lasting impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing and subjective cognitive functioning of older adults, without full recovery from the first wave.

The association between facets of mindfulness and COVID-19 related distress: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

Trait mindfulness could function as a protective factor against distress. The current study investigated the relationship of the five distinct facets of mindfulness and COVID-19 related distress.

METHODS

An online self-report study was conducted in a Dutch sample (N = 811; M_age = 49 ± 17; 54.5 % female) in February 2021. Dispositional mindfulness was assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the COVID Stress Scale was used to assess COVID-19 related distress.

RESULTS

Multivariate regression analyses showed that describing and non-judging were inversely related to COVID-19 related distress. Specifically, describing was related to fewer socioeconomic worries, while describing and non-judging were negatively associated with traumatic stress symptoms. Non-judging was negatively associated with COVID-19-related compulsive checking.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that individuals high in mindfulness traits describing and non-judging, experience less distress during the pandemic. Teaching mindfulness skills and practice could be helpful in global situations like pandemics.

The longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviors, psychosocial factors, and cognitive functioning in older adults

Background: Older adults are at a greater risk for contracting and experiencing severe illness from COVID-19 and may be further affected by pandemic-related precautions (e.g., social distancing and isolation in quarantine). However, the longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults is unclear. The current study examines changes in health behaviors, psychosocial factors, and cognitive functioning in a large sample of older adults using a pre-pandemic baseline and longitudinal follow-up throughout 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: One hundred and eighty-nine older adults (ages 65-89) were recruited from a multisite clinical trial to complete additional virtual assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mixed effects models evaluated changes in health behaviors, psychosocial factors, and cognitive functioning during the pandemic compared to a pre-pandemic baseline and over the course of the pandemic (i.e., comparing the first and last COVID-19 timepoints). Results: Compared to their pre-pandemic baseline, during the pandemic, older adults reported worsened sleep quality, perceived physical health and functioning, mental health, slight increases in depression and apathy symptoms, reduced social engagement/perceived social support, but demonstrated better performance on objective cognitive tasks of attention and working memory. Throughout the course of the pandemic, these older adults reported continued worsening of perceived physical health and function, fewer depression symptoms, and they demonstrated improved cognitive performance. It is important to note that changes on self-report mood measures and cognitive performance were relatively small regarding clinical significance. Education largely served as a protective factor, such that greater years of education was generally associated with better outcomes across domains. Conclusions: The present study provides insights into the longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviors, psychosocial factors, and cognitive functioning in a population disproportionately affected by the virus. Replicating this study design in a demographically representative older adult sample is warranted to further inform intervention strategies targeting older adults negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Information Technologies for Real-Time Mapping of Human Well-Being Indicators in an Urban Historical Garden

The post-pandemic era has raised awareness on the importance of physical and psychological well-being for decreasing the vulnerability of both individuals and populations. Citizens in urban areas are subject to numerous stress factors which can be mitigated by green spaces such as parks and gardens. Sensor and internet technologies support nature-based solutions in various ways. In this paper, we show the results of ongoing research on the use of spatially distributed IoT sensors that collect climate data in an ~8 ha urban garden. The novelty resides in the method for merging the IoT data with a detailed 3D model created by a laser scan survey from a drone flight. The end products are 1 m resolution thermal comfort maps of user-defined scenarios, e.g., at specific times or aggregated in daily/monthly/yearly statistics that represent a thermal comfort distribution. For full replicability, the code is open source and available as an R package on Github.

Predictive Factors of Anxiety, Depression, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling and Institutionalized Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 health emergency and restrictive measures have increased psychological problems, particularly anxiety and depression, in the general population. However, little is known about mental health conditions and the possible risk and protective factors of specific population groups, such as institutionalized vs. community-dwelling elderly. We investigated the abovementioned aspects in a sample of 65-89-year-old people during the third wave of COVID-19 in Italy. We employed a sociodemographic survey and four questionnaires on health-related quality of life (SF-36), loneliness (UCLA), spirituality (FACIT-Sp), and anxiety/depression (HADS). Our findings suggest that the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of the elderly had not been seriously impaired by the events related to the pandemic, although most of the participants reported a worsening of their social life and a moderate/high fear of COVID-19. In regression analyses, these two latter aspects turned out to be predictors of higher anxiety, while spiritual well-being and the possibility to get out of the house/institution emerged as protective factors against anxiety and for preserving quality of life, respectively. Our findings help refine the picture of the condition of the elderly in the aftermath of the pandemic, giving some hints about how to continue supporting their well-being and quality of life.