Physical distancing is related to fewer electronic and in-person contacts and to increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic among older Europeans

Cohn‐Schwartz, Ella; Vitman-Schorr, Adi; Khalaila, Rabia

doi:10.1007/s11136-021-02949-4

Cited by 33 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…The results from our models imply that increases of new COVID-19 infections also had an effect on older adults’ loneliness above and beyond the stringency of pandemic-related cotainment and closure policies introduced by law. This is compatible with evidence from studies[35,36] showing that older adults who voluntarily engaged in physical distancing measures, e.g. avoiding close contact or canceling social activities, also reported higher levels of loneliness.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults’ loneliness: Evidence from high-frequency panel data in Austria

Stolz

Mayerl

Freidl

2021

Preprint

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BACKGROUNDIt is unclear how strong and long lasting the effects of recurring COVID-19 restrictions on older adults’ loneliness are.METHODS.469 retired older adults (60+) provided 8,814 repeated observations of loneliness (27 waves) in the Austrian Corona Panel Project between March 2020 and December 2021. Ordinal mixed regression models were used to estimate the effect of the stringency of COVID-19 restrictions (SI) on loneliness.RESULTSThe proportion of older adults who reported to be often lonely correlated closely (r=0.63) with the SI over time: both peaked during lockdowns (SI=82, often lonely=10-12%) and were lowest during the summer of 2020 (SI=36, often lonely=5-6%). Results from regression models indicate, that when the SI increased above 60 (=strict lockdown), an increase in loneliness followed. Older adults who lived alone were more affected than those living with others.CONCLUSIONSStringent COVID-19 restrictions lead to situational loneliness, particularly among those who lived alone. Efforts should be made to enable older adults who live alone to have save in-person contact during lockdown periods.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults’ loneliness: Evidence from high-frequency panel data in Austria

Stolz

Mayerl

Freidl

2021

Preprint

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“…Similar results were found among elderly people in Europe who reported a higher loneliness due to physical distancing during the pandemic [40]. Although other studies confirm that loneliness in the elderly occurs only in those with multiple physical and mental health diagnoses, it is associated with reduced loneliness in those with larger social networks [41].…”

Section: Comparison With the Existing Literaturesupporting

confidence: 73%

Psychological Wellbeing and Psychological Distress in the Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Herdian

Suwarti²,

Estria³

2022

Consortium Psychiatricum

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The elderly are the population most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 2020 to April 2022, the implementation of psychological distancing is still being applied in Indonesia. Mental health problems appear to be interesting issues to be studied in the elderly. This study examines loneliness and attachment to God on mental health and how mental health conditions are explored using a mixed-method approach. 86 older people filled out loneliness and attachment to God questionnaires. Representatives from our participants were invited to be participants in collecting interview data. The results show that loneliness is a predictor of mental health in the elderly, while attachment to God does not correlate. More specifically, we describe what makes the elderly sad and happy and how the elderly carry out coping strategies to live life in these challenging times. Coping is done by the elderly such as productive activity, religious activity, and communication activity. Loneliness is a serious problem for the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even attachment to God did not positively affect mental health as we predicted. Coping in the form of activities carried out by the elderly is one of the activities that can divert the loneliness of the elderly.

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“…This will become more clear when follow-up data from the LASA study become available, as well as data from cohort studies in older populations across Europe, such as the SHARE study. 30,31 Third, we created the exposure index with an existing dataset, so we were limited to variables available in this dataset. We missed consequences of the pandemic in some domains, such as concerns regarding the COVID-19 situation, the quality of sleep, and mood.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam COVID-19 exposure index: a cross-sectional analysis of the impact of the pandemic on daily functioning of older adults

Hoogendijk

Schuster

Tilburg

et al. 2022

Preprint

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ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to develop an index to measure older adults’ exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to study its association with various domains of functioning.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingThe Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), a cohort study in the Netherlands.ParticipantsCommunity dwelling older adults aged 62-102 years (n=1089) who participated in the LASA COVID-19 study (June-September 2020), just after the first wave of the pandemic.Primary outcome measuresA 35-item COVID-19 exposure index with a score ranging between 0 and 1 was developed, including items that assess the extent to which the COVID-19 situation affected daily lives of older adults. Descriptive characteristics of the index were studied, stratified by several socio-demographic factors. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study associations between the exposure index and several indicators of functioning (functional limitations, anxiety, depression, and loneliness).ResultsThe mean COVID-19 exposure index score was 0.20 (SD 0.10). Scores were relatively high among women and in the southern region of the Netherlands. In models adjusted for socio-demographic factors and pre-pandemic functioning (2018-2019), those with scores in the highest tertile of the exposure index were more likely to report functional limitations (OR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.48 to 3.38), anxiety symptoms (OR: 3.87; 95% CI: 2.27 to 6.61), depressive symptoms (OR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.53 to 3.93) and loneliness (OR: 2.97; 95% CI: 2.08-4.26) than those in the lowest tertile.ConclusionsAmong older adults in the Netherlands, those with higher scores on a COVID-19 exposure index reported worse functioning in the physical, mental and social domain. The index may be used to identify persons for whom targeted interventions are needed to maintain or improve functioning during the pandemic or post-pandemic.Strengths and limitations of this studyThis study was based on a representative sample of older adults from three culturally different regions in the Netherlands.The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam COVID-19 study provides unique data on functioning of older adults in various life domains during the COVID-19 pandemic.The items of the COVID-19 exposure index that was developed were based on self-report, more objective sources such as medical records were lacking.The study covered the first months of the pandemic in the Netherlands, longitudinal data is needed to monitor functioning of older adults in later stages of the pandemic.

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Physical distancing is related to fewer electronic and in-person contacts and to increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic among older Europeans

Cited by 33 publications

References 52 publications

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults’ loneliness: Evidence from high-frequency panel data in Austria

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on older adults’ loneliness: Evidence from high-frequency panel data in Austria

Psychological Wellbeing and Psychological Distress in the Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam COVID-19 exposure index: a cross-sectional analysis of the impact of the pandemic on daily functioning of older adults

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