"We Are Staying at Home." Association of Self-perceptions of Aging, Personal and Family Resources, and Loneliness With Psychological Distress During the Lock-Down Period of COVID-19. (13th April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Losada-Baltar, Andrés; Jiménez-Gonzalo, Lucía; Gallego-Alberto, Laura; Pedroso-Chaparro, María del Sequeros; Fernandes-Pires, José; Márquez-González, María
• Editors: Issacowitz, Derek
• Is Part Of: Journals of gerontology. Volume 76:Number 2(2021)
• Page Start: e10
• Page End: e16
• Publication Date: 2020-04-13
• Subjects: Coping -- Crisis -- Depression -- Expressed emotion -- Self-efficacy; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; Aged -- Periodicals; Aging -- Periodicals; Psychology, Social -- Periodicals; 305.26
• DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1079-5014

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: Families are going through a very stressful time because of the COVID-19 outbreak, with age being a risk factor for this illness. Negative self-perceptions of aging, among other personal and relational variables, may be associated with loneliness and distress caused by the pandemic crisis. Method: Participants are 1, 310 Spanish people (age range: 18–88 years) during a lock-down period at home. In addition to specific questions about risk for COVID-19, self-perceptions of aging, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. Hierarchical regression analyses were done for assessing the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress. Results: The measured variables allow for an explanation of 48% and 33% of the variance of distress and loneliness, respectively. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, more contact with relatives different to those that co-reside, fewer positive emotions, less perceived self-efficacy, lower quality of sleep, higher expressed emotion, and higher loneliness were associated with higher distress. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, lower contact with relatives, higher self-perception as a burden, fewer positive emotions, lower resources for entertaining oneself, lower quality of sleep, and higher expressed emotion were associated with higher loneliness. Discussion: Having negative self-perceptions of aging and lower chronological age, together with other measured family and personal resources, are associated with loneliness and psychological distress. Older adults with positive self-perceptions of aging seem to be more resilient during the COVID-19 outbreak.