Maintaining social and emotional wellbeing among older adults during periods of increased social isolation: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Scarfe, Brigitta; Adams, Claire; Gringart, Eyal; McAullay, Daniel; Sim, Moira; Strobel, Natalie

doi:10.1080/00049530.2022.2141584

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A possible explanation may rely on the peculiar situation due to the pandemic, since the lockdown challenged the way of maintaining social connections. Digital and online technologies became crucial to maintain interpersonal relationships, but, at the same time, they prevented older adults from staying connected with others since some older people were unable or reluctant to use technology, leaving them vulnerable to social isolation [69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive Coping Strategies at the Time of COVID-19: The Role of Social and General Trust

Graziani

Botindari

Menegatti

et al. 2023

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Research in the field shows the crucial role of trust in the functioning of many aspects of social life, especially when dealing with emergencies. We report the results of a study (N = 883) carried out in Italy during the first phase of the COVID-19 crisis to assess whether and how social trust (i.e., trust in those who have the authority and responsibility for making decisions, such as the Italian government, the regional government, the Civil Protection, the European Union, the Catholic Church, and the scientific community) and general trust (i.e., trust in the trustworthiness of other individuals, such as Italians and humankind) are associated with the employment of coping strategies in dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. Overall, the results highlight that trust in different authorities and institutions and trust in other human beings are positively associated with the adoption of adaptive coping strategies such as seeking social support, positive reinterpretation and growth, problem-solving orientation, and transcendent orientation. In contrast, they are negatively related to the adoption of maladaptive coping strategies such as avoidance. These findings point out the benefits of various types of trust in helping individuals deal with crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive Coping Strategies at the Time of COVID-19: The Role of Social and General Trust

Graziani

Botindari

Menegatti

et al. 2023

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The four participating organisations primarily provided social care services and included: an advocacy service for adults ≥50 years; a charitable organisation run by volunteers that provides social groups and care plans for adults ≥70 years; a not‐for‐profit organisation that delivers Commonwealth programs and home care packages for adults ≥65 years; and a local government council that provides specific services for adults ≥55 years. Ten older adults (aged between 68 and 78) were also interviewed about their experiences of accessing services during the pandemic, which we report on elsewhere 9 . The study was approved through the Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee, approval number 2020‐01693‐STROBEL.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ten older adults (aged between 68 and 78) were also interviewed about their experiences of accessing services during the pandemic, which we report on elsewhere. 9 The study was approved through the Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee, approval number 2020-01693-STROBEL.…”

Section: Study Design and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study aimed at understanding lessons learnt and future implications of how small local organisations in Western Australia were impacted by and responded to COVID‐19 and public health measures on their older adult clients and service delivery. This is part of a larger study to understand the impact of COVID‐19 on older adults in Western Australia, which we report on elsewhere 9 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Enabling social care services for older adults during periods of long‐term social isolation: Service provider perspectives

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective To investigate how small, local organisations were impacted by and responded to COVID‐19 in their delivery of social care services to older adults (70 years and older). Lessons learnt and future implications are discussed. Methods Six representatives from four social care services (five females and one male) participated in individual semistructured interviews. Responses were analysed thematically. Results The key themes identified were service providers' experience, perceived needs of older adults and adapting services. Service providers positioned themselves as front‐line essential workers for their older adult clients, resulting in some emotional toll and distress for the service providers. They provided information, wellness checks and at‐home assistance to keep their older adult clients connected. Conclusions Service providers feel more prepared for future restrictions but flag the potential of training and supporting older adults to use technology to stay connected, as well as the need for more readily available funding to allow services to adapt quickly during times of crisis.

show abstract

“…Reduced social interaction and participation reflect poor social integration (low social engagement), a core aspect of social adaptation 25 . On the one hand, decreased contact with others limits the beneficial effects of social interactions, such as obtaining social support 23,[26][27][28][29][30] . Support resources are necessary to adjust contextual demands successfully 15,31,32 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The neurocognitive impact of loneliness and social networks on social adaptation

Franco-O'Byrne

Sepúlveda

Gonzalez-Gomez

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Social adaptation arises from the interaction between the individual and the social environment. However, little empirical evidence exists regarding the relationship between social contact and social adaptation. We propose that loneliness and social networks are key factors explaining social adaptation. Sixty-four healthy subjects with no history of psychiatric conditions participated in this study. All participants completed self-report questionnaires about loneliness, social network, and social adaptation. On a separate day, subjects underwent a resting state fMRI recording session. A hierarchical regression model on self-report data revealed that loneliness and social network were negatively and positively associated with social adaptation. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis showed that loneliness was associated with decreased FC between the fronto-amygdalar and fronto-parietal regions. In contrast, the social network was positively associated with FC between the fronto-temporo-parietal network. Finally, an integrative path model examined the combined effects of behavioral and brain predictors of social adaptation. The model revealed that social networks mediated the effects of loneliness on social adaptation. Further, loneliness-related abnormal brain FC (previously shown to be associated with difficulties in cognitive control, emotion regulation, and sociocognitive processes) emerged as the strongest predictor of poor social adaptation. Findings offer insights into the brain indicators of social adaptation and highlight the role of social networks as a buffer against the maladaptive effects of loneliness. These findings can inform interventions aimed at minimizing loneliness and promoting social adaptation and are especially relevant due to the high prevalence of loneliness around the globe. These findings also serve the study of social adaptation since they provide potential neurocognitive factors that could influence social adaptation.

show abstract

Maintaining social and emotional wellbeing among older adults during periods of increased social isolation: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 5 publications

References 34 publications

Adaptive Coping Strategies at the Time of COVID-19: The Role of Social and General Trust

Adaptive Coping Strategies at the Time of COVID-19: The Role of Social and General Trust

Enabling social care services for older adults during periods of long‐term social isolation: Service provider perspectives

The neurocognitive impact of loneliness and social networks on social adaptation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About