Age Differences in COVID-19 risk perceptions and mental health: Evidence from a National U.S. survey conducted in March 2020.
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVES: Theories of aging posit that older adult age is associated with less negative emotions, but few studies have examined age differences at times of novel challenges. As COVID-19 spread in the United States, this study therefore aimed to examine age differences in risk perceptions, anxiety, and depression. METHOD: In March 2020, a nationally representative address-based sample of 6,666 U.S. adults assessed their perceived risk of getting COVID-19, dying if getting it, getting quarantined, losing their job (if currently working), and running out of money. They completed a mental health assessment for anxiety and depression. Demographic variables and precrisis depression diagnosis had previously been reported. RESULTS: In regression analyses controlling for demographic variables and survey date, older adult age was associated with perceiving larger risks of dying if getting COVID-19, but with perceiving less risk of getting COVID-19, getting quarantined, or running out of money, as well as less depression and anxiety. Findings held after additionally controlling for precrisis reports of depression diagnosis. DISCUSSION: With the exception of perceived infection-fatality risk, U.S. adults who were relatively older appeared to have a more optimistic outlook and better mental health during the early stages of the pandemic. Interventions may be needed to help people of all ages maintain realistic perceptions of the risks, while also managing depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis. Implications for risk communication and mental health interventions are discussed.
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Older adults seemed to have a more optimistic outlook and better mental health during the pandemic's initial stages.
“Older adults seemed to have a more optimistic outlook and better mental health during the pandemic’s initial stages (Bruine de Bruin, 2020) and better mental health outcomes (Smith et al., 2020).”
From Dealing With the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Portugal: On the Important Role of Positivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Coping Strategies (2021) · cites this paper as Bruine de Bruin, 2020
Older adults seem to have a more optimistic outlook during the pandemic's initial stages, which appears to explain why the younger population is particularly affected.
“Conversely, older adults seem to have a more optimistic outlook during the pandemic’s initial stages (e.g., Bruine de Bruin, 2020), which appears to explain why the younger population is particularly affected.”
From Dealing With the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Portugal: On the Important Role of Positivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Coping Strategies (2021) · cites this paper as Bruine de Bruin, 2020
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- Authors
- Bruine de Bruin, W.
- Affiliations
- Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, Sol Price School of Public Policy
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2020-05-29
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- e24-e29
- ISSN
- 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5368
- PMC
- PMC7542924
- OpenAlex
- W3029097922
- Cited by
- 477
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 92 · 2022: 113 · 2021: 131 · 2020: 40
- FWCI
- 37.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Southern California
- National Science Foundation (2028683)
- Swedish Riksbankens Jubileumsfond
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, age differences, risk perception, mental health, anxiety, depression, older adults, job loss risk, financial risk, risk communication, pandemic
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Middle Aged, Risk, United States, Young Adult
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