Emotional Resilience of Older Adults during COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Studies of Stress and Well-Being

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Evelina Sterina, Emory University; Adriana Hermida, Emory University; Danielle J Gerberi, Mayo Clinic; Maria I Lapid, Mayo Clinic
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-06-05
• Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: Rights managed by Taylor & Francis
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2021.1928355
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: CLINICAL GERONTOLOGIST
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 4
• End Page: 19
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported in part by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR002378; TL1TR002382.
• Keywords: post-traumatic; ANXIETY; Science & Technology; Anxiety; DEPRESSION; SYMPTOMS; distress; Psychiatry; COVID-19; DISORDERS; Geriatrics & Gerontology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; EPIDEMIC; PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT; DISTRESS; HEALTH; Gerontology; well-being; PREVALENCE; VALIDATION

Abstract

Objectives: To examine post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and well-being in older adults under quarantine. Methods: A systematic review of CINAHL, Ovid EBM Reviews, Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, Ovid PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science from 2000 to 2020 was conducted. Keywords included coronavirus, epidemic, quarantine, stress, mental health, and similar terms. Included studies enrolled participants under quarantine, quantitatively measured mental health or well-being, and characterized outcomes by age. Results: Of 894 initial results, 20 studies met the criteria and were included. Studies comprise 106,553 participants from eight countries, ages 6–100, two epidemics (COVID-19, SARS), and 27 assessment tools. One study found greater distress in older adults relative to younger adults, one found no significant differences, and 18 found lower negative outcomes in older participants in at least one metric. Conclusions: Older adults in this review generally have lower stress and less negative emotions under quarantine than younger adults. It is unknown how this compares to pre-pandemic measures. More representative and longitudinal studies are needed to measure the impact of quarantine on the mental health of older adults. Clinical implications: As existing scales may not capture the full extent of pandemic psychological effects on older adults, clinicians must vigilantly monitor older adults’ mental health.