ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the relationship between the amount and intensity of physical activity performed by older adults in North America (United States and Canada) and their depression and anxiety symptoms while currently under social distancing guidelines (SDG) for the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: Online survey conducted between April 9 and April 30, 2020, during the COVD-19 pandemic. Participants: About 1,046 older adults over the age of 50 who live in North America. Measurements: Participants were asked about their basic demographic information, current health status, and the impact of the current SDG on their subjective state of mental health. Participants completed the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, to determine the amount and intensity of physical activity performed, as well as both the Geriatric Depression Scale and Geriatric Anxiety Scale, to ascertain the extent of their depression and anxiety-like symptoms. Results: Ninety-seven percent of participants indicated that they adhered to current SDG "Most of the time" or "Strictly." Participants who performed greater levels of physical activity experienced lower levels of depression-like symptoms when age, sex, and education were accounted for;however, no relationship between physical activity and anxiety-like symptoms was found. A hierarchical regression analysis that incorporated the intensity of physical activity performed (light, moderate, and vigorous) in the model indicated that greater light and strenuous activity, but not moderate, predicted lower depression-like symptoms. Conclusions: These results suggest that performing even light physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic may help alleviate some of the negative mental health impacts that older adults may be experiencing while isolated and adhering to SDG during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Psychosocial stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the risk of depression and anxiety in the general population. Individuals approaching or within older adulthood may be especially vulnerable to these psychosocial stressors and their impact on mental health outcomes. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify protective factors for older adults. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relative contribution of coping flexibility (CF) and two distinct coping strategies, forward-focused and trauma-focused, on negative affect in persons 50 years of age and older during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Data were collected using an online survey, including questions about demographic information, coping, depression, and anxiety. Participants aged 50 and over were included in our analyses of depression (N = 800) and anxiety (N = 638). Results: Both higher CF and higher forward-focused coping predicted lower depression and lower anxiety. In contrast, higher trauma-focused coping predicted slightly higher depressive symptoms but was not a significant predictor of anxiety. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that higher forward-focused coping may serve as a protective factor in older adults during the pandemic and, therefore, may be an effective treatment target for mental health interventions.