Age disparities in mental health during the COVID19 pandemic: The roles of resilience and coping

Ling Na, Lixia Yang, Peter G Mezo, Rong Liu, Ling Na, Lixia Yang, Peter G Mezo, Rong Liu

Abstract

Background: The COVID19 pandemic has caused a mental health crisis worldwide, which may have different age-specific impacts, partly due to age-related differences in resilience and coping. The purposes of this study were to 1) identify disparities in mental distress, perceived adversities, resilience, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic among four age groups (18-34, 35-49, 50-64, and ≥65); 2) assess the age-moderated time effect on mental distress, and 3) estimate the effects of perceived adversities on mental distress as moderated by age, resilience and coping.

Methods: Data were drawn from a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample (n = 7830) administered during the pandemic. Weighted mean of mental distress and adversities (perceived loneliness, perceived stress, and perceived risk), resilience, and coping were compared among different age groups. Hierarchical random-effects models were used to assess the moderated effects of adversities on mental distress.

Results: The youngest age group (18-34) reported the highest mental distress at baseline with the mean (standard error) as 2.70 (0.12), which showed an incremental improvement with age (2.27 (0.10), 1.88 (0.08), 1.29 (0.07) for 35-49, 50-64, and ≥65 groups respectively). The older age groups reported lower levels of loneliness and perceived stress, higher perceived risk, greater resilience, and more relaxation coping (ps < .001). Model results showed that mental distress declined slightly over time, and the downward trend was moderated by age group. Perceived adversities, alcohol, and social coping were positively,whereas resilience and relaxation were negatively associated with mental distress. Resilience and age group moderated the slope of each adversity on mental distress.

Conclusions: The youngest age group appeared to be most vulnerable during the pandemic. Mental health interventions may provide resilience training to combat everyday adversities for the vulnerable individuals and empower them to achieve personal growth that challenges age boundaries.

Keywords: Age disparity; COVID-19; Coping; Health disparity; Mental health; Pandemic; Resilience.

Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A conceptual model of age, resilience, and coping modified association of adversity with mental distress.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Series. Distribution of outcome and independent variables over time (April 2020 to January 2021) by age group.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Series. Distribution of outcome and independent variables over time (April 2020 to January 2021) by age group.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Age-moderated associations (fixed effects) of mental distress with wave (3a), loneliness (3b), perceived stress (3c), perceived risk (3d), resilience (3e), social coping (3f), relaxation coping (3g), and alcohol coping (3h).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Age-moderated associations (fixed effects) of mental distress with wave (3a), loneliness (3b), perceived stress (3c), perceived risk (3d), resilience (3e), social coping (3f), relaxation coping (3g), and alcohol coping (3h).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Fixed effects of loneliness (4a), perceived stress (4 b), and perceived risk (4c) on mental distress, as moderated by age groups and resilience levels, corresponding to Table 5.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Fixed effects of loneliness (4a), perceived stress (4 b), and perceived risk (4c) on mental distress, as moderated by age groups and resilience levels, corresponding to Table 5.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Fixed effects of loneliness on mental distress, as moderated by age groups and relaxation levels, responding to Table 6.

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