Gender differences in coping with long-term COVID-19 impacts among older adults.

Initial COVID-19 pandemic research suggests that during the first few weeks of the pandemic women were disproportionately impacted by restrictions compared to men. This study explored whether these gender differences in coping with pandemic restrictions were present among older adults 8-9 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Data are based on online survey responses (n = 781) from respondents aged 60 and older. The survey was fielded from November 2 to December 4, 2020. Compared to older men, a greater proportion of older women self-reported an increase in being lonely, anxious, scared, sad, stressed, hopeless, and frustrated as compared to the beginning of the pandemic. More women reported engaging in healthy coping behaviors compared to men and self-reported more decreases in sleeping and in eating compared to the first few weeks of the pandemic. A greater proportion of older women reported a decline in physical activity since the first few weeks of the pandemic compared to older men. Self-reported changes in communication did not differ by gender, except for text messaging. More women compared to men reported that their use of text messaging increased since the initial stages of the pandemic. Results showed significant gender differences among older adults in coping with long-term COVID-19 restrictions 8-9 months into the pandemic.

"At First It Wasn't so Bad": How Adults Aged 60 and Older Feel About Social Distancing During COVID-19.

We conducted an exploratory study to describe the emotional experience of adults aged 60 and older in the United States practicing social distancing during COVID-19. The survey asked respondents how they were feeling during social distancing. Responses (n=673) were coded into segments by affect and then specific emotional states. A large portion of respondents reported negative emotions (e.g. anxiety, loneliness). A smaller portion reported positive emotions (e.g. optimism, gratitude). Younger respondents (aged 60-70) reported more feelings of anxiousness and fear compared to older respondents (71+). Older respondents were more likely to report negative feelings towards the government. For both age groups, female respondents were significantly more likely to report feeling afraid and having negative feelings about their own health. We conclude that many older adults are vulnerable to negative emotional outcomes during the pandemic. This highlights the importance of interventions targeting vulnerable older adults.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Utility of Peer-supported Ecological Momentary Assessment Among People with Serious Mental Illness: a Pilot Study.

To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial validity of using smartphone-based peer-supported ecological momentary assessment (EMA) as a tool to assess loneliness and functioning among adults with a serious mental illness diagnosis. Twenty-one adults with a diagnosis of a serious mental illness (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or treatment-refractory major depressive disorder) and at least one medical comorbidity (i.e., cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and/or high cholesterol) aged 18 years and older completed EMA surveys via smartphones once per day for 12-weeks. Nine peer support specialists prompted patients with SMI to complete the EMA surveys. Data were collected at baseline and 12-weeks. EMA acceptability (15.9%) was reported, and participants rated their experience with EMA methods positively. EMA responses were correlated with higher social support at 3 months. Higher levels of EMA-measured loneliness were significantly correlated with levels of social support, less hope, and less empowerment at 3 months. Lastly, those who contacted their peer specialist reported higher levels of loneliness and lower levels of functioning on that day suggesting that participants were able to use their peers for social support. Peer-supported EMA via smartphones is a feasible and acceptable data collection method among adults with SMI and appears to be a promising mobile tool to assess loneliness and functioning. These preliminary findings indicate EMA-measured loneliness and functioning are significantly predicted by baseline variables and such variables may impact engagement in EMA. EMA may contribute to future research examining the clinical utility of peer support specialists to alleviate feelings of loneliness and improve functioning.

Advancing the Science of Recovery: The Utility of the Recovery Assessment Scale in the Prediction of Self-Directed Health and Wellness Outcomes in Adults with a Diagnosis of a Serious Mental Illness.

Adults with serious mental illness commonly experience comorbid chronic physical conditions and experience a reduced life expectancy of 10-25 years compared to the general population (Saha et al. in Arch Gen Psychiatry 64(10):1123-31.  2007; Hayes et al. in Acta Psychiatr Scand 131(6):417-25. 2015; Walker et al. in JAMA Psychiatry 72(4):334-41. 2015). Dimensions of personal recovery may have real-world implications that extend beyond functional and mental health outcomes to impact the self-directed health and wellness of adults with serious mental illness. This study examined the predictive utility of the Recovery Assessment Scale with respect to medical self-efficacy, self-management, psychiatric symptoms, and community functioning for adults with serious mental illness. Data were derived from a secondary analysis of baseline and 10-month data collected from a randomized control trial with adults aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, or major depressive disorder (N=56). A linear regression was conducted to examine the predictive value of total baseline RAS scores on self-efficacy at 10 months while controlling for study group. This model significantly predicted self-efficacy (F (2, 53) = 13.28, p < .001) and accounted for 36.1% of the variance. Total baseline RAS scores significantly predicted self-efficacy (ß = 059, p < .001); specifically, higher baseline RAS scores were associated with greater self-efficacy. A greater degree of recovery may facilitate greater medical self-efficacy in managing chronic disease in people diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Future intervention approaches may consider recovery-focused therapeutic targets such as peer support to promote self-efficacy to manage chronic diseases in people with serious mental illness.

Loneliness and its Association with Health Behaviors in People with a Lived Experience of a Serious Mental Illness.

To explore the association between loneliness and efficacy to engage in health behaviors that are known to reduce the risk of early mortality in people with serious mental illness (SMI). This secondary data analysis was based on a cross-sectional study of 113 participants with SMI residing in New Hampshire. Ordinary Least Squares regressions were used to examine bivariate relationships between variables of interest. Participants had a primary mental health diagnosis of major depressive disorder (37.2%), schizophrenia spectrum disorder (28.3%), bipolar disorder (29.2%), or posttraumatic stress disorder (5.3%). High levels of loneliness were associated with low levels of self-efficacy to manage chronic diseases (p = 0.0001), as well as low levels of self-efficacy to manage psychological well-being (R2 = .31; F = 9.49, p = 0.0001; RMSE = 1.66). Loneliness may serve as a barrier to healthy behaviors, and thus, contribute to early mortality among people with SMI. The growing body of literature that demonstrates the importance of addressing loneliness in people with SMI should stimulate policymakers and researchers to target loneliness as a mechanism to address early mortality in people with SMI.

Visioning the Future of Gerontological Digital Social Work.

Gerontological Social Work education has been substantially altered by the advancement of today's digital technologies, influencing both the training and tools required to ensure student success in social work research, policy, and practice. The goal of this paper is to present the state of the science on gerontological digital social work education, identify implications for emerging technologies, and define areas for social work student competencies and proficiencies to advance the field of gerontological digital social work. This paper underlines the role of gerontological digital social work education in preparing future researchers, practitioners, and policymakers when engaging in Digital Therapeutic Teams. We provide insightful considerations pertaining to emerging technologies which present unique opportunities for innovation. Furthermore, this paper presents training and education opportunities for social work education in preparing future gerontologist practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to engage in multidisciplinary team efforts and leverage digital technologies and digital therapeutics.

Performance Evaluation of Energy-Autonomous Sensors Using Power-Harvesting Beacons for Environmental Monitoring in Internet of Things (IoT).

Environmental conditions and air quality monitoring have become crucial today due to the undeniable changes of the climate and accelerated urbanization. To efficiently monitor environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and the levels of pollutants, such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air, and to collect data covering vast geographical areas, the development of cheap energy-autonomous sensors for large scale deployment and fine-grained data acquisition is required. Rapid advances in electronics and communication technologies along with the emergence of paradigms such as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have led to the development of low-cost sensor devices that can operate unattended for long periods of time and communicate using wired or wireless connections through the Internet. We investigate the energy efficiency of an environmental monitoring system based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons that operate in the IoT environment. The beacons developed measure the temperature, the relative humidity, the light intensity, and the CO2 and VOC levels in the air. Based on our analysis we have developed efficient sleep scheduling algorithms that allow the sensor nodes developed to operate autonomously without requiring the replacement of the power supply. The experimental results show that low-power sensors communicating using BLE technology can operate autonomously (from the energy perspective) in applications that monitor the environment or the air quality in indoor or outdoor settings.

Developing a Framework for Digital Activities of Daily Living.

The emergence of digital technologies has shown a promising potential to enhance access to goods, services, and resources. Digital technologies and interfaces differ from mechanical and analog electronic technologies as they often require internet access and are dependent on a set of activities or actions for the user to successfully implement them in their day-to-day life. We describe this set of activities as digital activities of daily living (DADLs). Much like activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and enhanced activities of living, DADLs are critical to supporting well-being and healthy aging. For example, the digitalization of tasks such as health insurance (e.g., creating a Medicare account) or banking (e.g., making a utility payment via a web portal) are all DADLs. With a growing dependence on digital technologies to participate in day-to-day life, disparities in individuals' ability to competently complete DADLs present major concerns for independence, quality of life, safety, and well-being. We developed a framework for understanding DADLs and their implication for daily life. Furthermore, we provide a guide for the development of interventions and outline implications for research, practice, and policy.

Best practices for implementing a technology-based intervention protocol: Participant and researcher considerations.

Technology-based interventions present a promising approach to support health and wellness for older adults with a range of cognitive abilities. Technology can enhance access to interventions and support scaling of programs to reach more people. However, the use of technology for intervention delivery requires particular attention to users' needs and preferences and ensuring the materials are adaptable and supportive of a diverse range of technology proficiency levels. We share best practices based on lessons learned from the deployment of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) wherein we delivered an 8-week social engagement intervention through a video technology platform called OneClick for older adults with varying cognitive abilities. We developed a set of best practices and guidelines informed by the lessons learned through this RCT implementation. Technology-based interventions require attention to the application (e.g., video calls), system requirements (e.g., system memory, broadband internet), training (e.g., adaptability based on user competency), and support (e.g., handouts, live contact). These best practices relate to user needs; training design; personnel responsibility; structuring delivery and content; and evaluating success. These research-based best practices can guide the design, development, and implementation of technology-based interventions to support older adults with varying cognitive abilities.

Methods and baseline characteristics for a social engagement technology-based randomized controlled trial for older adults.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that increasing opportunities for social engagement has the potential to support successful aging. However, many older adults may have limited access to in-person social engagement opportunities due to barriers such as transportation. We outline the development, design, methodology, and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial that assessed the benefits of a social engagement intervention delivered through the OneClick video conferencing platform to older adults with varying levels of cognitive functioning. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults with and without cognitive challenges were randomly assigned to a social engagement intervention group or a waitlist control group. Participants were asked to attend twice-weekly social engagement events for 8 weeks via OneClick. Outcomes included social engagement and technology acceptance for both groups at baseline, week-4, and week-8 assessments. As an extension, the waitlist control group had an opportunity to participate in the intervention, with outcomes assessed at weeks 12 and 16. Results: We randomly assigned 99 participants (mean age = 74.1 ± 6.7, range: 60-99), with 50 in the immediate intervention group and 49 in the waitlist control group. About half of the participants reported living alone (53.5%), with a third (31%) falling into the cognitively impaired range on global cognitive screening. The groups did not differ at baseline on any of the outcome measures. Conclusions: Outcomes from this study will provide important information regarding the feasibility and efficacy of providing technology-based social engagement interventions to older adults with a range of cognitive abilities.