ABSTRACT
Background: Social isolation and loneliness contribute to cognitive decline, and social isolation represents a key modifiable risk factor for dementia. Substantial interruptions in social engagement due to the COVID-19 pandemic have heightened awareness of this issue, but common later-life events may also reduce social connectedness. The neurocognitive impacts of such disruptions are unclear. Using the validated NIH Emotion Toolbox, we examined perceived social support and changes in perceived support as predictors of cognitive function in a sample of middle aged and older adults. Method(s): 672 participants from the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) completed cognitive tests and Emotion Toolbox questionnaires at 2+ visits between 2017 and 2021 (mean interim = 1.7 years). Predictors comprised t-scores on three perceived social support scales: Emotional Support, Instrumental Support, and Loneliness. Cross-sectional analyses examined associations between social support and cognitive outcomes including memory (RAVLT Immediate and Delayed Recall) and processing speed/executive function (Trails A&B times). Using median t scores from the first and last available visit to categorize social support as high or low (for Loneliness, low loneliness was categorized as "high" social support), support over time was classified as stable-high, stable-low, or "change" (high-low or low-high). Mixed-effects regression models examined the demographic-adjusted predictor-outcome relationships between social support and cognition across visits. Result(s): In this ADRC sample (mean age 65.2, SD = 9.2;Table 1), all three social support scores associated cross-sectionally (Table 2) with Trails A and B performance. Relative to stable-high participants, those reporting either stable-low or declines from high to low social support exhibited poorer performance on measures of processing speed/executive function. Conversely, participants in the low-high group performed comparably on cognitive tests to those in the stable-high group (Table 3;Figure 1). Conclusion(s): Social support associated with processing speed/executive function in this sample. Participants who reported a change in social support performed comparably to those with either stable high or stable low support, suggesting that processing speed/executive function associated with social support may be modifiable in the shorter term. These findings underscore the cognitive cost of social isolation and highlight the substantial benefits of maintaining - and improving - social connections among middle aged and older adults. Copyright © 2022 the Alzheimer's Association.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: People experience higher levels of psychological distress during times of crisis, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Resilience is a psychological resource that helps people to recover from adverse events. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of resilience on COVID-19-related stress and worry about job loss in people with chronic conditions and disabilities (PwCID). METHODS: The Perceived Stress Questionnaire -8 (PSQ-8) and the Brief Resilience Scale were used to measure COVID-19-related stress and resilience, respectively. Demographics were also assessed. A two-step hierarchical regression and binary regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A moderate amount of perceived stress and resilience with mean scores of 2.45 (SD = 0.69;range 1-4) and 3.17 (SD = 0.98;range 1-5), respectively, were found among the 269 participants. Resilience (beta=-0.44, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with COVID-19-related stress after controlling for demographic variables. Results also revealed that those with higher resilience scores had lower probability to worry about job loss. CONCLUSION: PwCID who have higher scores on resilience reported lower levels of COVID-19-related stress. Resilience can be cultivated among PwCID for better psychological outcomes during times of crisis. Vocational rehabilitation counselors can implement strategies to improve resilience in PwCID.
ABSTRACT
Social distancing currently in place to reduce community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in negative structural, social, psychological, and financial consequences. Loneliness is linked to adverse mental health and health outcomes, and facing COVID-19 can increase feelings of stress and loneliness. In this study, we aimed to gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 affects mental health in vulnerable populations. Data from 269 individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions (mean age 39.37;56.1% male;84.0% white) were collected to understand whether loneliness mediates the relationship between perceived COVID-19 stress and maladaptive COVID-19 coping strategies among people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. The findings suggest that loneliness serves as a partial mediator between perceived COVID-19 stress and maladaptive COVID-19 coping. Implications of the findings for public health and rehabilitation intervention for individuals with disabilities are discussed. © 2021 National Rehabilitation Association. All rights reserved.