RESILIENCE THROUGH CONNECTION: SOCIAL SUPPORT AND ELDER ABUSE, DISASTER, BEREAVEMENT, AND COMBAT

Abstract Elder abuse prevalence among community residing adults is 10%, but this prevalence is cut by more than half among those who report high levels of social connection. Relatedly, elder abuse outcomes are significant, producing increased prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders, the prevalences of which are, again, halved when one experiences abuse in the context of high social support. Similarly, mental health effects of natural disaster on older adults are virtually eliminated in the presence of high social support. Moreover, treatment for anxiety and depressive disorders is improved when high social support is present. We will present findings from five of our major studies in the aforementioned areas that underscore this point.

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Older Adults and the Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

JAMA ◽

10.1001/jama.2020.21753 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 324 (22) ◽

pp. 2253

Author(s):

Ipsit V. Vahia ◽

Dilip V. Jeste ◽

Charles F. Reynolds

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Effects ◽

Mental Health Effects

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Mental Health Effects of Media Exposure Following a Natural Disaster

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-fy1499-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Julia Frohlich ◽

Angela B. Lindsey ◽

Heidi Radunovich

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Natural Disaster ◽

Health Effects ◽

Media Use ◽

Media Exposure ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Media Consumption ◽

Effects Of Media ◽

Mental Health Effects

This document aims to discuss the impacts on mental health that can be intensified via media consumption and to provide media consumption guidelines that can help to monitor media use and decrease negative mental health impacts. Written by Julia Frohlich, Angela B. Lindsey, and Heidi Radunovich, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2021.

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Mental health effects of infection containment strategies: quarantine and isolation—a systematic review and meta-analysis

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience ◽

10.1007/s00406-020-01196-x ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jonathan Henssler ◽

Friederike Stock ◽

Joris van Bohemen ◽

Henrik Walter ◽

Andreas Heinz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Effects ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Populations At Risk ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Effects

Abstract Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of people worldwide is currently affected by quarantine or isolation. These measures have been suggested to negatively impact on mental health. We conducted the first systematic literature review and meta-analysis assessing the psychological effects in both quarantined and isolated persons compared to non-quarantined and non-isolated persons. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases were searched for studies until April 22, 2020 (Prospero Registration-No.: CRD42020180043). We followed PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines for data extraction and synthesis and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for assessing risk of bias of included studies. A random-effects model was implemented to pool effect sizes of included studies. The primary outcomes were depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. All other psychological parameters, such as anger, were reported as secondary outcomes. Out of 6807 screened articles, 25 studies were included in our analyses. Compared to controls, individuals experiencing isolation or quarantine were at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes, particularly after containment duration of 1 week or longer. Effect sizes were summarized for depressive disorders (odds ratio 2.795; 95% CI 1.467–5.324), anxiety disorders (odds ratio 2.0; 95% CI 0.883–4.527), and stress-related disorders (odds ratio 2.742; 95% CI 1.496–5.027). Among secondary outcomes, elevated levels of anger were reported most consistently. There is compelling evidence for adverse mental health effects of isolation and quarantine, in particular depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders, and anger. Reported determinants can help identify populations at risk and our findings may serve as an evidence-base for prevention and management strategies.

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Mental Health Effects of COVID-19 in Older Adults Are Moderated by Existing Mental Health Needs and Emotional Support

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.357 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 94-95

Author(s):

Tianyin Liu ◽

Shiyu Lu ◽

Terry Y S Lum ◽

Walker Siu Hong Au ◽

Man-Man Peng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Effects ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Health Needs ◽

Support Network ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

Mental Health Effects ◽

The Impact

Abstract Mitigating mental health consequences is one of the priorities for the society to advance, and the aim of this study is to investigate the mental health effects of COVID-19 in older adults and to explore risk and protective factors. Social workers recruited 722 older adults living in the community (mean age 73.6±8.4) from January 2020 to February 2021 in Hong Kong, and interviewed them for basic demographics (age, gender, education, and living status), mental health service use in recent three months (proxy for existing needs), number of people to talk to when feeling down (proxy for emotional support network), and assessed their depression using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Impacts of COVID-19 were indicated by local daily effective reproductive number (Rt) and Nth wave since the start of the pandemic. Generalized linear models (GLM) were applied. Basic demographics were not associated with depression, existing mental health needs (β=2.99, p<.001), Rt (β=1.08, p<.05) and Nth wave (β=0.49, p<.05) were positively associated with depression, while emotional support network was negatively associated with depression (β=-2.47, p<.001). There was also a significant interaction between Rt and Nth wave on depression (β=0.69, p<.05), suggesting ongoing COVID-19 took a toll on older adults’ mental health. Three-way interactions between COVID-19 Rt, Nth wave and existing mental health needs (β=0.25, p<.05) and emotional support network (β=-0.12, p=.07) on depression further indicated that older adults with existing mental health needs warrant more attention, and wider emotional support network may buffer the impact of the pandemic on mental health.

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