Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has left older adults around the world bereaved by the sudden death of relatives and friends. We examine if COVID-19 bereavement corresponds with older adults’ reporting depression in 27 countries, and test for variation by gender and country context. Methods We analyze SHARE COVID-19 data collected between June-August 2020 from N=51,383 older adults (age 50–104) living in 27 countries, of whom 1,363 reported the death of a relative or friend from COVID-19. We estimate pooled-multilevel logit regression models to examine if COVID-19 bereavement was associated with self-reported depression and worsening depression, and we test whether national COVID-19 mortality rates moderate these assocations. Results COVID-19 bereavement is associated with significantly higher probabilities of both reporting depression and reporting worsened depression among older adults. Net of one’s own personal loss, living in a country with the highest COVID-19 mortality rate is associated with women’s reports of worsened depression but not men’s. However, the country’s COVID-19 mortality rate does not moderate associations between COVID-19 bereavement and depression. Discussion COVID-19 deaths have lingering mental health implications for surviving older adults. Even as the collective toll of the crisis is apparent, bereaved older adults are in particular need of mental health support.

Background and Objectives This study examined associations between exposure to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic and Chinese older adults’ depression and inflammation 8 years after the crisis. Further, this study investigated the buffering effects of perceived social support and social participation. Research Design and Methods Data were drawn from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, including N = 4,341 Chinese adults aged 60 years and older. For the survey, local officials identified whether the 2003 SARS outbreak was one of the major disasters in the history of their communities. Depression was assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale and inflammation was measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) collected from participants via venous blood draws. Results Results from multilevel logistic regression models revealed that Chinese older adults living in communities exposed to SARS were more likely to have elevated CRP compared to those not living in such communities. Moreover, community SARS exposure was associated with greater risks of depression for Chinese older adults who had no perceived social support. Among Chinese older adults who had low levels of social participation, community SARS exposure was more strongly related to elevated CRP. Discussion and Implications Findings suggest community-level exposure to the SARS epidemic had enduring consequences for Chinese older adults’ health. However, active social participation and supportive social ties provided important resources that may buffer against negative effects of exposure to the SARS epidemic.

Middle-aged children may cope in different ways with interpersonal tensions with their aging parents. This study examined coping strategies as a function of parent’s age and disability and children’s emotions (i.e., guilty feelings and worry). Middle-aged children ( N = 378) reported coping strategies when encountering interpersonal tensions with each of parents ( N = 482): engagement, acceptance, avoidance, and confrontation. Middle-aged children also indicated how guilty and worried they felt about each parent. Multilevel models indicated that middle-aged children were most likely to use engagement and acceptance strategies, followed by avoidance, and least likely to use confrontation. Results also revealed that middle-aged offspring were more likely to use engagement toward their parents who were older and acceptance toward parents with more disabilities. Furthermore, when middle-aged children had stronger feelings of guilt toward parents, they were more likely to be avoidant and less likely to engage with parents. Worries about parents were positively associated with the use of engagement strategies.

No abstract

Objectives: This study examined the associations between parent–child relationships and sleep difficulty among older parents in the context of Chinese multiple-children and one-child families. Methods: Using the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, this study analyzed older parents’ ( N = 8,450) reports of sleep quality and relationships with each of children. Results: Results from multivariate logistic regression models showed that living alone, greater variations in children’s financial transfers and emotional closeness, and more instrumental support from children were associated with higher risks of sleep difficulty for Chinese older parents with multiple children. The maximum levels of financial transfers and emotional closeness from all children were related to lower risks of sleep difficulty for parents from multiple-children families, while greater instrumental support from children was associated with higher risks of sleep difficulty for parents from one-child families. Discussion: Findings have implications for support programs for Chinese aging population with sleep problems.