Impact of COVID-19 on the social relationships and mental health of older adults living alone: A two-year prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, older adults living alone, who can only connect socially outside their homes, are at risk of social isolation and poor mental health. This study aimed to identify the changes, before and after COVID-19, by sex and age, in social relationships (social activity, social network, and social support) and mental health (depression and suicide ideation) among older adults living alone. Methods This is a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling older adults who were at least 65 years old and living alone in South Korea. The study was conducted during 2018–2020 with 2,291 participants (795, 771, and 725 for the 1st to 3rd waves, respectively). The data were collected via face-to-face interviews. A generalized linear mixed modeling framework was used to test for changes over three years. Results Social activity was reduced after the COVID-19, with an interaction effect of sex: older women (odds ratio [OR], 0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15–0.23; p < .001) showed greater reduction than older men (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.34–0.75; p < .001). Interaction with neighbors also reduced after the pandemic, but there was no significant evidence of interaction effects. Interaction with family members increased in both sexes during the pandemic, with the interaction effect of sex: older women (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.11–1.76; p = .004) showed greater increase than men (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.13–2.14; p = .007). Social support increased in both sexes during the pandemic, but there was no significant evidence of interaction effects. Depression and suicide ideation showed no significant differences before and after the pandemic. Conclusions The findings provide health administrators and health providers with explorative insights into the impact of the COVID-19 on social relationships and mental health among older adults living alone and can guide further studies of interventions considering specific properties of social relationships.

Effects of integrated care on the quality of life and social relationships of older adults in South Korea

“…This result may have been affected by COVID-19, which began in 2019 [30,37]. Other studies similarly reported that the social activities of older adults decreased after COVID-19, with those of women decreasing more than those of men [35]. When analyzed by age group, the number of people met decreased more in the young-old group.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on Lifestyle: A Sample of Iranian Older Adults

“…Increased social support in health behaviors was another positive impact of the corona during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period in Tehran. Studies in other countries indicated increased family support during lockdown (Machón Sobrado et al, 2021) or increased social support levels in the third wave compared to the first wave of coronavirus (Ryu et al, 2022). Social support serves as a direct factor and a buffer against the negative impacts of COVID-19 stressors (Li et al, 2020).…”

Intergenerational and digital solidarity: Associations with depressive symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting measures have been implemented to slow the spread of the virus, such as social distancing, wearing a face mask, home quarantine, and travel restrictions (Foong et al, 2022). Because older adults encountered greater mortality risks, and more severe illness and complications from viral infection than younger adults (Ryu et al, 2022), they were encouraged to avoid discretionary social activities and interactions, including those with family members (Foong et al, 2022). The resulting dramatic decline in social interactions has led to an elevated risk of social isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety among older adults (Polenick et al, 2021).…”