Covid-19 and the Elderly’s Mental Illness
The Role of Risk Perception, Social Isolation, Loneliness and Ageism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15499985 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anna Rosa Donizzetti (0000-0003-2605-8705, University of Naples Federico II, corresponding author), Martine Lagacé (0000-0001-7691-5854, University of Ottawa) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 4513-4513 |
| Publication date | 2022-04-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph19084513 |
| PMID | 35457381 |
| OpenAlex | W4224232493 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 42 |
For almost two years, populations around the globe faced precariousness and uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults were highly affected by the virus, and the policies meant to protect them have often resulted in ageist stereotypes and discrimination. For example, the public discourse around older adults had a paternalistic tone framing all older adults as "vulnerable". This study aimed to measure the extent to which perceived age discrimination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the sense of loneliness and social isolation, fear and perception of COVID-19 risks, had a negative effect on older adults' mental illness. To do so, a self-report questionnaire was administered to 1301 participants (average age: 77.25 years old, SD = 5.46; 56.10% females, 43.90% males). Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed, along with structural equation modelling. Results showed that perceived age discrimination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic positively predicts loneliness and also indirectly predicts mental illness. In addition, loneliness is the strongest predictor of mental illness together with fear of COVID-19 and social isolation. Such results highlight the importance of implementing public policies and discourses that are non-discriminating, and that favour the inclusion of older people
Context (archaeology · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Developmental psychology · Disease · Isolation (microbiology · Loneliness · Mental health · Mental illness · Pandemic · Perception · Psychiatry · Social distance · Social isolation · Aging and Gerontology Research · Clinical Psychology · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology · Gerontology
Association of everyday discrimination with health outcomes among Asian and non-Asian US older adults before and during the Covid-19 pandemic
Healthcare Professionals’ Views and Perspectives towards Aging
The Impact of Interface Design Element Features on Task Performance in Older Adults
QFD-Based Research on Sustainable User Experience Optimization Design of Smart Home Products for the Elderly
Determinants of depressive symptoms increase in older persons during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Changing Care of Older Adults With Bipolar Disorder
Impact of Covid-19 on medical utilization for psychiatric conditions in Japan
The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships
Psychosocial consequences of infectious diseases
A review of loneliness
Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms
A conceptual analysis of Ageism
A Meta‐Analysis of Research on Protection Motivation Theory
Social Relationships and Mortality Risk
Perceived Discrimination and Physical, Cognitive, and Emotional Health in Older Adulthood
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Applications of Structural Equation Modeling in Psychological Research
Loneliness, social isolation and social relationships
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The Thorny Relation Between Measurement Quality and Fit Index Cutoffs in Latent Variable Models
How Young and Older Adults Differ in Their Responses to Perceived Age Discrimination.
Lonely young adults in modern Britain
Changes in risk perception and self-reported protective behaviour during the first week of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States
Not Only Virus Spread
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Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP)
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Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during Covid-19 outbreak in China
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Ucla Loneliness Scale (Version 3)
Cross-Cultural Risk Perception
Social Isolation and Loneliness
Feelings of Loneliness and Living Alone as Predictors of Mortality in the Elderly
A 2-Month Follow-Up Study of Psychological Distress among Italian People during the Covid-19 Lockdown
Ageism in an Aging Society
Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Italian Version of the Fear of Covid-19 Scale
Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Covid-19 Risk Perception Scale (CoRP)
Social isolation, loneliness and health in old age
Social Network, Social Support, and Loneliness in Older Persons with Different Chronic Diseases
Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health Among Older Adults
Risk perceptions of Covid-19 around the world
A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults
Longevity increased by positive self-perceptions of aging
Ageísmo e Covid-19
Stereotype Embodiment
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,75 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |