Resilience and Hassles Trajectories Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Longitudinal observational cohort study tracking weekly trajectories over 8 weeks
PubMed 39178154 · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbae145
What was done
Community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older in Oregon (mean age 71.1, standard deviation 7.3; 74% women, 89% non-Hispanic White) completed weekly online surveys across 8 weeks (April 28–June 22, 2020) during early COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Researchers used a two-part statistical model to estimate how age, resilience factors (higher trait resilience, education), and vulnerability factors (identifying as a woman, being a person of color, chronic conditions) predicted weekly odds of any hassle exposure and level of hassle severity.
What was found
Across the 8 weeks, hassles exposure decreased and severity rates declined overall, but trajectories differed by age and demographics. Old-old adults (estimated at age 78) maintained stable odds of hassle exposure, whereas young-old adults (estimated at age 64) exhibited a J-shaped curve; age did not moderate severity slopes. Resilience factors predicted exposure trajectories, while vulnerability factors (race/ethnicity and chronic illness) were associated with levels of hassle severity. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes, test statistics, or confidence intervals.
Why it matters
This study shows that older adults did not experience pandemic stressors uniformly, with young-old and old-old individuals showing different patterns of hassle exposure. It suggests that resilience and vulnerability factors relate differentially to whether daily hassles occur versus how severe they feel.
Limits
The total sample size is not stated in the abstract. The study sample is geographically limited to Oregon and heavily skewed toward women (74%) and non-Hispanic White participants (89%). Specific quantitative estimates and effect sizes are omitted from the abstract, and the 8-week follow-up covers only the initial lockdown period.
Cited by
- supports Psychological research during COVID demonstrated that older adults exhibited greater psychological resilience than younger adults.