COVID-19-related loneliness and psychiatric symptoms among older adults: the buffering role of subjective age
Open accessAbstract
Objective The study examined whether subjective age moderated the relationship between loneliness due to the COVID-19 pandemic and psychiatric symptoms.Methods A convenience sample of older adult Israelis (N = 277, mean age = 69.58 ± 6.72) completed web-based questionnaires comprising loneliness, anxiety, depressive, and peritraumatic distress symptoms. They also reported how old they felt.Results The positive relationship between loneliness due to the COVID-19 pandemic and psychiatric symptoms was weak among those who felt younger than their age while this very same relationship was robust among those feeling older.Conclusions Young subjective age may weaken the loneliness-symptom association among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults holding an older age identity are more susceptible to the adverse effects of loneliness. Although preliminary, the findings may inform screening and interventions. Subjective age may help identify those at high risk in suffering from loneliness, and suggest interventions aimed at ameliorating both loneliness and older subjective ages.
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In Shrira et al., the association between loneliness and anxiety, depression, and peri-traumatic distress was particularly strong for individuals who felt older than their actual demographic age.
“This association was particularly strong for those individuals who felt older than their actual demographic age.”
From The impact of COVID-19 infection and enforced prolonged social isolation on neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with and without dementia: A review (2020) · cites this paper as [22]
Shrira et al. observed a significant positive association between loneliness due to social isolation and levels of anxiety, depression, and peri-traumatic distress in older adults.
“Shrira et al. (22) observed a significant positive association between loneliness due to social isolation and levels of anxiety, depression, and peri-traumatic distress in older adults.”
From The impact of COVID-19 infection and enforced prolonged social isolation on neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with and without dementia: A review (2020) · cites this paper as [22]
Healthy older adults forced to isolate socially reported high levels of stress, anxiety and depression that seem particularly associated with loneliness.
“The studies here reviewed also highlight how healthy older adults forced to isolate socially reported high levels of stress (21), anxiety and depression that seem to be particularly associated with loneliness (22).”
From The impact of COVID-19 infection and enforced prolonged social isolation on neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with and without dementia: A review (2020) · cites this paper as [22]
The relationship between loneliness and mental health was stronger in those who reported to feel older than their actual age.
“In fact, one study included in this review found that the relationship between loneliness and mental health was stronger in those who reported to feel older than their actual age (22).”
From The impact of COVID-19 infection and enforced prolonged social isolation on neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with and without dementia: A review (2020) · cites this paper as [22]
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References 13 · Cited by 188
- Authors
- Shrira, A., Hoffman, Y., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y.
- Affiliations
- Bar-Ilan University (IL)
- University of Haifa (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Shrira, Amit
- Venue
- The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-11
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1200-1204
- ISSN
- 1064-7481 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7251397
- OpenAlex
- W3030982432
- Cited by
- 188
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 13
- FWCI
- 15.98
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness, subjective age, older adults, psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, depression, peritraumatic distress, age identity, moderation, mental health screening
- MeSH terms
- Emotional Adjustment, Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Aged, Aging, Behavioral Symptoms, Communicable Disease Control, Female, Humans, Israel, Loneliness, Male, Mental Health, Pneumonia, Viral, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Self-Assessment, Self Concept, Social Isolation, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics, Protective Factors
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