| A1( 1818. Carriedo A , Cecchini JA , Fernandez-Rio J , Méndez-Giménez A . COVID-19, Psychological Well-being and Physical Activity Levels in Older Adults During the Nationwide Lockdown in Spain . Am J Geriatr Psychiatry . 2020 ; 28 ( 11 ): 1146 - 55 . ) |
To examine older adults’ psychological well-being during home isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate whether meeting the World Health Organization’s global recommendations on physical activity for health is associated with their resilience, affect and depressive symptoms. |
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Cross-sectional
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N= 483 older adults
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Mean age = 65 years old
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Sample= 51% of women
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Resilience was higher among participants who achieved minimum vigorous physical activity (VPA) and moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week. |
Older adults who regularly engaged in moderate/vigorous physical activity and moderate physical activity during quarantine reported higher scores on resilience, positive affect and lower scores on depressive symptoms. |
Involving older adults in minimum levels of VPA or MVPA per week can be a protective measure for their psychological well-being during confinement. |
LoE: VI (Clinical Question: diagnosis) |
| A2( 1919. Hernández-Ruiz V , Meillon C , Avila-Funes JA , Bergua V , Dartigues JF , Koleck M , et al . Older Adults and the COVID-19 Pandemic, What About the Oldest Old? The PACOVID Population-Based Survey . Front Psychiatry . 2021 ; 12 : 711583 . ) |
To address older adults’ attitudes, psychological and social experiences towards the pandemic and lockdown and their impact. |
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Distraction (distracting attention to leisure activities such as reading, watching television, playing games, gardening, crafting…) was the most common coping strategy. |
Engaging in leisure activities was the most frequent coping strategy, and for many participants, lockdown did not represent much of a change in terms of their daily routine. |
As challenging as the pandemic has been so far, and partly in contrast to the preconceptions one might have about older adults, a growing number of studies are highlighting the potential resources and resilience skills of older adults, including at age advanced. |
LoE: II (Clinical Question: meaning) |
| A3( 2020. Fuller HR , Huseth-Zosel A . Lessons in Resilience: Initial Coping Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic . Gerontologist . 2021 ; 61 ( 1 ): 114 - 25 . ) |
To examine levels of perceived self-assessment of coping among older adults as well as exploring the ways older adults are coping with the sudden need to socially isolate. |
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Mixed
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N= 76 older adults
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Mean age = 81 years
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Sample= 72.4% of women
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Keeping busy, seeking social support and having a positive mindset were the coping strategies identified in respondents’ responses. |
The average level of perceived coping (on a scale of 1 to 10) was 7.9, with 87% of participants rating their coping positively. |
Contrary to prevailing messages about older adults’ vulnerability, the study’s findings highlight the resilient nature of older adults in terms of psychological coping and adaptability during COVID-19. |
LoE: IV (Clinical Question: meaning) |
| A4( 2121. Vannini P , Gagliardi GP , Kuppe M , Dossett ML , Donovan NJ , Gatchel JR , et al . Stress, resilience, and coping strategies in a sample of community-dwelling older adults during COVID-19 . J Psychiatr Res . 2021 ; 138 : 176 - 85 . ) |
To investigate perceived levels of stress, resilience, and coping strategies related to COVID-19 in a sample of community-dwelling older adults who took part in two longitudinal observational studies in Massachusetts, USA. |
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Cross-sectional
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N= 141 older adults
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Mean age = 74 years old
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Sample= 59% of women.
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The three most endorsed coping strategies were: I have been eating healthy, well-balanced meals, I have been having enough sleep, and I exercise regularly (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling, resistance exercise), indicating that overall, study participants have been engaging in healthy living habits during the pandemic. |
Participants demonstrated moderate levels of COVID-19-related stress and showed relatively high levels of resilience. Resilience was associated with greater use of adaptive coping behaviors and less use of maladaptive coping behaviors. Using maladaptive coping strategies was associated with more stress. |
Resilience is critical to dealing with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and contributes to the current discussion on the urgent need to build resilience and develop strategies to improve it. |
LoE: VI (Clinical Question: diagnosis) |
| A5( 2222. Yang Q , Wang Y , Tian C , Chen Y , Mao J . The Experiences of Community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Wuhan: a qualitative study . J Adv Nurs . 2021 ; 77 ( 12 ): 4805 - 14 . ) |
To explore the experiences of older community adults in Wuhan during the 2019 coronavirus disease lockdown. |
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They continued their activities at home (such as walking, tai chi) or started activities, learned to use smartphone apps for fun, communicate with others and buy goods. |
Four main thematic categories emerged: challenges, multidimensional support, resilience amidst challenges, and post-epidemic impact. |
The results of the study suggest that certain social dynamics and individual behaviors helped older adults to cope better with the stressful period of quarantine. |
LoE: II (Clinical Question: meaning) |
| A6( 2323. Chan SM , Chung GK , Chan YH , Chung RY , Wong H , Yeoh EK , et al . Resilience and coping strategies of older adults in Hong Kong during COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study . BMC Geriatr . 2022 ; 22 ( 1 ): 299 . ) |
To examine quantitatively and qualitatively whether older adults in Hong Kong are psychosocially more vulnerable compared to younger adults, and then explore how they cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Sports (such as Tai-chi and Qigong) entertainment, especially playing musical instruments (such as Erhu). |
Compared to younger adults, older adults tend to be less concerned about COVID-19 infection and economic/livelihood activity. They also showed better subjective well-being in terms of happiness and life satisfaction, with their social capital and social interaction less affected. |
Older adults showed better psychosocial well-being than their younger peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stronger resilience to positive coping, technology assistance, and targeted government and community support may have protected older adults from suffering during the pandemic. |
LoE: IV (Clinical Question: meaning) |
| A7( 2424. Finlay JM , Kler JS , O’Shea BQ , Eastman MR , Vinson YR , Kobayashi LC . Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Older Adults Across the United States . Front Public Health . 2021 ; 9 : 643807 . ) |
To identify ways of dealing with worries and stress during the pandemic from the perspective of older adults in the United States. |
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Qualitative
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N= 6398 older adults
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Mean age = 67 years old
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Sample= 63.8% of women
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Purposes reported frequently included exercising and going outdoors (mainly hiking and yoga), modifying routines (with games, puzzles, watching television, painting, cleaning, knitting, crocheting and sewing, planning fun activities, reading and listening to audio content), following public health guidelines, adjusting attitudes (such as meditation and breathing exercises), and staying socially connected. |
The most common coping categories were related to exercise and outdoor activities, daily living, COVID-19 precautions, attitude and perspectives, and social connections. Over 20% of respondents explicitly reported not using any coping strategies. |
Sources of resilience and coping strategies have potential practical implications for promoting well-being and quality of life among older adults during the pandemic and future social traumas. Older adults can benefit from interventions that leverage positive coping strategies. |
LoE: II (Clinical Question: meaning) |
| A8( 2525. Fiocco AJ , Gryspeerdt C , Franco G . Stress and Adjustment during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experience of Canadian Older Adults . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021 ; 18 ( 24 ): 12922 . ) |
To better understand the experience of older adults in the community during the first six months of the pandemic in Ontario, Canada. |
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Mixed
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N= 22 older adults
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Mean age = 72 years
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Sample= 59% of women
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Behavioral Strategies: keeping busy and finding new hobbies such as gardening, baking, quilting, reading and painting, staying physically active. Emotionally Focused Strategies: Gratitude for small pleasures, acceptance of current situation and optimism about the future. |
Two overarching themes were identified: perceived threat and challenges of the pandemic and coping with the pandemic. Specifically, participants reflected on the threat of contracting the virus and the challenges associated with living arrangements, social isolation and financial insecurity. Participants shared their coping strategies for maintaining health and well-being, including behavioral strategies, emotion-focused strategies, and social support. |
Older adults have been relatively resilient during this pandemic. They did not feel they were at greater risk of contracting COVID-19; they did not report the onset of new health-related concerns in the first six months of the pandemic; they did not feel the need to be treated differently because of their age |
LoE: II (Clinical Question: meaning) |
| A9( 2626. Lee K , Hyun K , Mitchell J , Saha T , Oran Gibson N , Krejci C . Exploring factors enhancing resilience among marginalized older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic . J Appl Gerontol . 2022 ; 41 ( 3 ): 610 - 8 . ) |
To explore the daily activities of marginalized older adults and how they coped with various challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, when quarantine was enforced across the state. |
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Qualitative
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N= 18 older adults
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Mean age = 73 years old
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Sample= 94% of women
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Technology use was reported: teleconferencing to attend religious services and communicate with family and friends. Some reported using YouTube to stay physically and mentally active and engaged. Informal support from family and neighbors. Formal support from community organizations for older adults: support groups, meals at home, newsletters. Despite the fear of local insecurity, some reported walking as a strategy. |
Most participants were female (94.4%), black or African-American (77.8%) and retired (77.8%). Older adults overcame adversity by using technology to continue daily activities, exchanging informal support with family members and neighbors, relying on formal support from community organizations, and staying physically active in their neighborhoods. |
Many older adults were able to leverage protective factors at various levels to demonstrate resilience to pandemic stressors. While technology has not been able to replace the emotional satisfaction received from person-to-person contact, it has provided older adults with access to vast resources for learning, entertainment and physical activity. |
LoE: II (Clinical Question: meaning) |
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