Despite concerns that older adults would face a mental health crisis stemming from loneliness and isolation due to lockdown measures during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies suggest that older adults may be more resilient to anxiety, depression, and stress than younger populations. Your viewpoint, please.
This is a very interesting question!
In a study my team has conducted in Austria in Germany in March 2020, we also found a negative relationship between age and anxiety, as well as reactance.
Does this mean that older individuals are more resilient? I am not sure. I think we need to factor in the "life circumstances" of different demographics. Take younger people for instance: young adults who might have just left home for university, in search of social relationships, getting to know new people, create and further their careers. Of course they would me more prone to anxiety when all these goals are in jeopardy.
Older adults, on the other hand, might experience other stressors such as loneliness. But I would argue that in general, the restrictions of pursuing these immediate goals have a stronger effect on younger individuals.
I would be intrigued to hear the impressions of others, though.
Dear Mr. Siddiqui!
You raised an important issue to consider. So I help you by searching for you recent publications:
1) Li, F., Luo, S., Mu, W. et al. Effects of sources of social support and resilience on the mental health of different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Psychiatry 21, 16 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-03012-1, Open Access:Article Effects of sources of social support and resilience on the m...
2) A case - study: Ashwin A. Kotwal et al. (2020).Social Isolation and Loneliness Among San Francisco Bay Area Older Adults During the COVID‐19 Shelter‐in‐Place Orders, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 23 September 2020, Open AccessArticle Social Isolation and Loneliness Among San Francisco Bay Area...
3) A case -study: Prerna Varma et al. (2021). Younger people are more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression during COVID-19 pandemic: A global cross-sectional survey, Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, Volume 109, 13 July 2021, Open Access:
Article Younger people are more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and de...
Yours sincerely, Bulcsu Szekely
Neuroticism is associated with reactivity on stress and neuroticism and generally declines with age until the age of 80. Meaning getting older gives probably less impact on stress and probably more resilience to COVID-19 related symptoms of anxiety and depression? A very interesting question and curious for other answers!
https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/geriatric-psychiatry/older-adults-have-more-resilience-to-covid-19-related-anxiety-depression/
I think you can find some answers from this article published yesterday. As I had the same question.
Much thanks for sharing the article with us Ayush Chandra Sir !!
Thanks for your feedback and for sharing the prominent recent article with us Bulcsu Szekely Sir.
Thanks a lot, Remco FP De Winter Sir for your significant views regarding the relation of a neurotic personality with age and it's subsequent internalizing disorders. Thanks again Sir for being with us in our discussion :)
Thank you so much for sharing your interesting study with us with quite important facts regarding our discussion, highly appreciable Stefan Reiss Sir :)