Social Isolation and Loneliness Among San Francisco Bay Area Older Adults During the COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Orders.
J Am Geriatr Soc
; 69(1): 20-29, 2021 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32965024
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:
Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic may have unintended, detrimental effects on social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Our objectives were to investigate (1) experiences of social isolation and loneliness during shelter-in-place orders, and (2) unmet health needs related to changes in social interactions.DESIGN:
Mixed-methods longitudinal phone-based survey administered every 2 weeks.SETTING:
Two community sites and an academic geriatrics outpatient clinical practice.PARTICIPANTS:
A total of 151 community-dwelling older adults. MEASUREMENTS We measured social isolation using a six-item modified Duke Social Support Index, social interaction subscale, that included assessments of video-based and Internet-based socializing. Measures of loneliness included self-reported worsened loneliness due to the COVID-19 pandemic and loneliness severity based on the three-item University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Participants were invited to share open-ended comments about their social experiences.RESULTS:
Participants were on average aged 75 years (standard deviation = 10), 50% had hearing or vision impairment, 64% lived alone, and 26% had difficulty bathing. Participants reported social isolation in 40% of interviews, 76% reported minimal video-based socializing, and 42% minimal Internet-based socializing. Socially isolated participants reported difficulty finding help with functional needs including bathing (20% vs 55%; P = .04). More than half (54%) of the participants reported worsened loneliness due to COVID-19 that was associated with worsened depression (62% vs 9%; P < .001) and anxiety (57% vs 9%; P < .001). Rates of loneliness improved on average by time since shelter-in-place orders (4-6 weeks 46% vs 13-15 weeks 27%; P = .009), however, loneliness persisted or worsened for a subgroup of participants. Open-ended responses revealed challenges faced by the subgroup experiencing persistent loneliness including poor emotional coping and discomfort with new technologies.CONCLUSION:
Many older adults are adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions since the start of shelter-in-place orders. Additional steps are critically needed to address the psychological suffering and unmet medical needs of those with persistent loneliness or barriers to technology-based social interaction.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Isolamento Social
/
Quarentena
/
Vida Independente
/
COVID-19
/
Solidão
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article