scholarly journals Age Differences in Risk and Resilience Factors in COVID-19-Related Stress

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Pearman ◽  
MacKenzie L Hughes ◽  
Emily L Smith ◽  
Shevaun D Neupert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Proactive Coping ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Objectives Older adults are at higher risk for death and infirmity from COVID-19 than younger and middle-aged adults. The current study examines COVID-19-specific anxiety and proactive coping as potential risk and resilience factors that may be differentially important for younger and older adults in understanding stress experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Five hundred and fifteen adults aged 20–79 years in the United States reported on their anxiety about developing COVID-19, proactive coping, and stress related to COVID-19 in an online survey. Results Although there were no age differences in stress levels, anxiety about developing COVID-19 was associated with more COVID-19 stress for older adults relative to younger adults, but proactive coping was associated with less COVID-19 stress for older adults relative to younger adults. Discussion Our results suggest that anxiety might function as a risk factor, whereas proactive coping may function as a resilience factor for older adults’ COVID-19 stress. We encourage future context-dependent investigations into mental health among older adults during this pandemic and beyond.

scholarly journals Listening in 2020: A Survey of Adults' Experiences With Pandemic-Related Disruptions

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Karen S. Helfer ◽  
Sara K. Mamo ◽  
Michael Clauss ◽  
Silvana Tellerico
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Speech Understanding ◽  
Noisy Environments ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Communication Challenges ◽  
Communication Ability

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced lifestyle changes that may negatively impact communication, including the pervasive use of face masks and videoconferencing technology. Here, we examine the effects of age and self-rated hearing on subjective measures of speech understanding via a survey accessed by adults residing in the United States. Method Responses to an online survey were obtained from adults (21 years of age and older) during the summer and fall of 2020. The survey included questions about hearing and speech understanding in a variety of scenarios and different listening conditions, including when communicating with people using face masks in quiet and noisy environments and when using videoconferencing. Results Data from 1,703 surveys were analyzed. In general, the use of face masks led to the perception of poorer speech understanding and greater need for concentration, especially in noisy environments. When responses from all participants were considered, poorer self-rated communication ability was noted as age increased. However, among people who categorized their overall hearing as “Excellent” or “Good,” younger adults rated their speech understanding ability in noisy situations as poorer than middle-age or older adults. Among people who rated their overall hearing as “Fair” or “Poor,” middle-age adults indicated having more difficulty communicating with people using face masks, as compared with older adults. Examination of open-ended responses suggested that the strategies individuals use when communicating with people wearing face masks vary by age and self-rated hearing. Notably, middle-age and older adults were more likely to report using strategies that could put them at risk (e.g., asking others to remove their face masks). Conclusions Even younger adults with self-perceived good hearing are not immune to communication challenges brought about by face masks. Among individuals with similar degrees of self-rated hearing, the expected increase in communication difficulty with age was not noted among our respondents. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16528431

scholarly journals The First COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Restrictions: An Intergenerational Comparison of the Impacts

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 958-959
Author(s):  
Anne Glass ◽  
Lauretta Lawlor
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Intergenerational Differences ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Predominantly Female ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Abstract “Social distancing” and stay-at-home orders were enacted in many states in response to the spread of COVID-19. We sought to understand intergenerational differences in the impact of the initial COVID-19 restrictions on interactions, loneliness, and stress. Data was collected via online survey from individuals ages 18 and above during the period April 7-May 8, 2020. The predominantly female, White, and well-educated sample (n = 962) included 245 younger adults (YAs) ages 18-34, 374 middle-aged adults (MAs) ages 35-64, and 343 older adults (OAs) ages 65+, with overall mean age 51.67 (SD=20.257; range 18-96). Before the restrictions, 41% of these OAs infrequently/never interacted face-to-face with children, increasing to 74% after restrictions. Three quarters (77%) of YAs reported seeing OAs less often, but 42% reported increasing their connections with OAs via technology. About a third of MAs (35%) and OAs (36%) were lonely, compared to 48% of YAs (p = .003), and a higher percentage of YAs (57%) reported being “more lonely” now, compared to MAs (36%) and OAs (41%). OAs reported the least stress; 42% reported low/very low levels of stress compared to YAs (9%) and MAs (20%). All generations most often identified “being able to go places” as the thing they missed most, but it increased significantly with age (p < .001), from YAs (32%), MAs (37%), to OAs (44%). More YAs (20%) than OAs (7%) reported missing “structure to their day.” Results of these intergenerational comparisons suggest the resilience of older adults is helping them during the current pandemic.

scholarly journals Proactive Coping and Mindfulness are Associated with Less Stress in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 909-909
Author(s):  
Lyndsey Graham ◽  
Shevaun Neupert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Proactive Coping ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

Abstract We examined the consequences of both chronic and life-event stressors for older adults, as well as antecedent strategies, such as proactive coping and mindfulness, that may mitigate stress. Given the potential negative outcomes associated with stress in older adulthood, exploring strategies to reduce or mitigate the negative impact of stress may be useful in promoting well-being in adulthood. Proactive coping involves an accumulation of resources that leads to reduced or avoided stressors in the future (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1997). Mindfulness calls an individual’s attention to the present moment, or may be characterized as an open, accepting attitude (Brown & Ryan, 2003). Using data from the Mindfulness and Anticipatory Coping Everyday study (English et al., 2019; Neupert & Bellingtier, 2017), 296 older adults in the United States, aged 60-90 years (M = 64.67, SD = 4.36), participated in relevant online survey measures. Results from multiple regression analyses suggested that people high in both chronic stress and life event stress had worse health, and that people high in proactive coping and mindfulness reported less stress. Study results underscore the impact of stress on health outcomes, and provide support for the use of antecedent strategies to address negative impacts of stress.

scholarly journals The Ups and Downs of Daily Life During COVID-19: Age Differences in Affect, Stress, and Positive Events

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Klaiber ◽  
Jin H Wen ◽  
Anita DeLongis ◽  
Nancy L Sin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Affective Reactivity ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Objectives Past research has linked older age with greater emotional well-being and decreased reactivity to stressors, but it is unknown whether age-related advantages in emotional well-being are maintained in the wake of COVID-19. We examined age differences in exposure and affective reactivity to daily stressors and positive events in the first several weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods In March and April 2020, 776 adults from Canada and the United States aged 18–91 (mean age 45) years reported COVID-19 threats at baseline, then completed nightly surveys for 1 week about their daily stressors, positive events, and affect. Results Younger age predicted more concerns about the threat of COVID-19 across multiple domains, in addition to lower positive affect, higher negative affect, and less frequent positive events. Younger adults had more non-COVID-19 daily stressors and higher perceived control over stressors, but lower perceived coping efficacy than older adults. There were no age differences in the frequency of COVID-19 daily stressors nor perceived stressor severity. Younger adults had greater reductions in negative affect on days when more positive events occurred and greater increases in negative affect on days when non-COVID-19 stressors occurred. Age moderation was attenuated for negative affective reactivity to COVID-19 stressors. Age did not moderate positive affective reactivity to daily events. Discussion In the early weeks of the pandemic, older adults showed better emotional well-being and less reactivity to stressors but did not differ from younger adults in their exposure to COVID-19 stressors. Additionally, younger adults benefited more from positive events.

scholarly journals Age differences in experiencing meaning in life: A multidimensional approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 908-908
Author(s):  
Nicole Long Ki Fung ◽  
Helene Fung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multidimensional Approach ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Two Age Groups

Abstract Coherence, purpose and significance were defined as the three facets of the presence of meaning in life (Martela & Steger, 2016). This study investigated the age differences in the three facets of meaning in life between younger and older adults. We recruited 241 younger adults (Mage=18.72, SD=1.50, 36.5% male) and 114 older adults (Mage=64.93, SD= 5.94, 52.6% male) from Hong Kong to fill out a one-hour online survey. We adapted the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale, which measured sense of coherence, purpose, significance. In specific, the adapted version measured significance in two sub facets: the naturalistic significance (important to other people) and cosmic significance (impact lasts beyond lifetime and space). The results showed that older adults had higher sense of coherence (t=3.47, p<.001), higher sense of cosmic significance (t=6.29, p<.001) but lower sense of purpose than younger adults (t=-2.02, p<.05). There were no significant differences in naturalistic significance between the two age groups (t=1.24, p=.22). Within both age groups, participants had the highest score in purpose, followed by coherence and naturalistic significance. They had the lowest score in cosmic significance. This study illustrated that younger and older adults have different absolute levels of meaning facets but are similar in the relative levels of meaning facets. Further studies can investigate how changes in absolute levels of meaning facet and preservation of the relative levels may affect well-being across age.

Video Games and Emotion Regulation

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Ossenfort ◽  
Derek M. Isaacowitz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Media Preferences

Abstract. Research on age differences in media usage has shown that older adults are more likely than younger adults to select positive emotional content. Research on emotional aging has examined whether older adults also seek out positivity in the everyday situations they choose, resulting so far in mixed results. We investigated the emotional choices of different age groups using video games as a more interactive type of affect-laden stimuli. Participants made multiple selections from a group of positive and negative games. Results showed that older adults selected the more positive games, but also reported feeling worse after playing them. Results supplement the literature on positivity in situation selection as well as on older adults’ interactive media preferences.

scholarly journals Age Differences in Executive Control Assessed with a Robotic Object Hit and Avoid Test of Rapid Motor Decision Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 881-882
Author(s):  
Alexandra Watral ◽  
Kevin Trewartha
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Neuropsychological Tasks ◽  
Measures Of Performance

Abstract Motor decision-making processes are required for many standard neuropsychological tasks, including the Trail Making Test (TMT), that aim to assess cognitive functioning in older adults. However, in their standard formats, it is difficult to isolate the relative contributions of sensorimotor and cognitive processes to performance on these neuropsychological tasks. Recently developed clinical tasks use a robotic manipulandum to assess both motor and cognitive aspects of rapid motor decision making in an object hit (OH) and object hit and avoid (OHA) task. We administered the OH and OHA tasks to 77 healthy younger adults and 59 healthy older adults to assess age differences in the motor and cognitive measures of performance. We administered the TMT parts A and B to assess the extent to which OHA performance is associated with executive functioning in particular. The results indicate that after controlling for hand speed, older adults performed worse on the OH and OHA tasks than younger adults, performance declines were far greater in the OHA task, and the global performance measures, which have been associated with cognitive status, were more sensitive to age differences than motor measures of performance. Those global measures of performance were also associated with measures of executive functioning on the TMT task. These findings provide evidence that rapid motor decision making tasks are sensitive to declines in executive control in aging. They also provide a way to isolate cognitive declines from declines in sensorimotor processes that are likely a contributing factor to age differences in neuropsychological test performance.

scholarly journals AGE DIFFERENCES IN POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT: ROLE OF SELF-RELEVANCE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S785-S785
Author(s):  
Tze Kiu Wong ◽  
Helene H Fung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Older People ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Political Behavior ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Political Discussion ◽  
Younger Adults

Abstract Previous studies usually found that older people are less politically engaged than younger adults, especially when considering political behavior other than voting. The current study extends the Selective Engagement hypothesis (Hess, 2014) to political engagement. 81 younger adults and 79 older adults rated 8 issues on self-relevance and their willingness to engage in political discussion, arguments and collective action on each issue. The predicted moderating effect of self-relevance was not found, but older people indeed are more willing to discuss (B = 0.07, p = 0.027) and argue with others on more self-relevant issues (B = 0.06, p = 0.031). Perceived cost of collective action was found to be a moderator, such that self-relevance was less important than other factors for high-cost actions (B = -0.016, p = 0.013). The current research sheds light on potential ways to increase older adults’ engagement in social issues.

Age Differences in the Social Associative Learning of Trust Information

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra Leigh Seaman ◽  
Alexander P. Christensen ◽  
Katherine Senn ◽  
Jessica Cooper ◽  
Brittany Shane Cassidy
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Trust Game ◽  
Time Model ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Cortical Areas ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Social ◽  
Over Time

Trust is a key component of social interaction. Older adults, however, often exhibit excessive trust relative to younger adults. One explanation is that older adults may learn to trust differently than younger adults. Here, we examine how younger (N=33) and older adults (N=30) learn to trust over time. Participants completed a classic iterative trust game with three partners. Younger and older adults shared similar amounts but differed in how they shared money. Compared to younger adults, older adults invested more with untrustworthy partners and less with trustworthy partners. As a group, older adults displayed less learning than younger adults. However, computational modeling shows that this is because older adults are more likely to forget what they have learned over time. Model-based fMRI analyses revealed several age-related differences in neural processing. Younger adults showed prediction error signals in social processing areas while older adults showed over-recruitment of several cortical areas. Collectively, these findings suggest that older adults attend to and learn from social cues differently from younger adults.

The Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster in the United States During the Era of Varicella and Herpes Zoster Vaccines: Changing Patterns Among Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Harpaz ◽  
Jessica W Leung
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Herpes Zoster ◽  
The United States ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Incidence Trends ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
Herpes Zoster Incidence

Abstract Historic herpes zoster incidence trends in US adults have been hard to interpret. Using administrative databases, we extended previous descriptions of these trends through 2016. We observed an age-specific transition, with ongoing increases among younger adults but deceleration in older adults. The patterns are not readily explained.

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