RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Social isolation and loneliness are associated with poorer mental health among older adults. However, less is known about how these experiences are independently associated with positive mental health (PMH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2020 and 2021 cycles of the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health to provide estimates of social isolation (i.e. living alone), loneliness and PMH outcomes (i.e. high self-rated mental health, high community belonging, mean life satisfaction) in the overall older adult population (i.e. 65+ years) and across sociodemographic groups. We also conducted logistic and linear regressions to separately and simultaneously examine how social isolation and loneliness are associated with PMH. RESULTS: Nearly 3 in 10 older adults reported living alone, and over a third reported feelings of loneliness due to the pandemic. When examined separately, living alone and loneliness were each associated with lower PMH. When assessed simultaneously, loneliness remained a significant independent factor associated with all three PMH outcomes (overall and across all sociodemographic groups), but living alone was only a significant factor for high community belonging in the overall population, for males and for those aged 65 to 74 years. CONCLUSION: Overall, social isolation and loneliness were associated with poorer wellbeing among older adults in Canada during the pandemic. Loneliness remained a significant factor related to all PMH outcomes after adjusting for social isolation, but not vice versa. The findings highlight the need to appropriately identify and support lonely older adults during (and beyond) the pandemic.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Soledad , Masculino , Humanos , Anciano , Soledad/psicología , Pandemias , COVID-19/epidemiología , Salud Mental , Aislamiento Social/psicología , Canadá/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Findings from the 2020 Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH) suggested that the positive mental health of adults in Canada was lower during the second wave of the pandemic (fall 2020) than in 2019. With 2021 SCMH data from winter/spring 2021, we find in the current study that average life satisfaction and the prevalence of high self-rated mental health, high community belonging and perceptions of stable/improved mental health were even lower during the third wave of the pandemic as compared to the second wave in the overall adult population and in most sociodemographic groups.
Fewer adults in Canada reported high self-rated mental health in winter/spring 2021 (51.5%) compared to fall 2020 (59.9%). Fewer adults reported high community belonging in winter/spring 2021 (57.3%) compared to fall 2020 (63.7%). Rated from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied), average life satisfaction was lower in winter/spring 2021 (6.9) compared to fall 2020 (7.2). Fewer adults in winter/spring 2021 (58.1%) compared to fall 2020 (66.5%) reported that their mental health was better or about the same compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Le nombre d'adultes au Canada ayant fait état d'un niveau élevé de santé mentale autoévaluée s'est révélé moindre à l'hiver et au printemps 2021 (51,5 %) par rapport à l'automne 2020 (59,9 %). Le nombre d'adultes ayant fait état d'un fort sentiment d'appartenance à la communauté s'est révélé moindre à l'hiver et au printemps 2021 (57,3 %) par rapport à l'automne 2020 (63,7 %). Notée de 0 (très insatisfait) à 10 (très satisfait), la satisfaction moyenne à l'égard de la vie s'est révélée plus faible à l'hiver et au printemps 2021 (6,9) qu'elle ne l'était à l'automne 2020 (7,2). Le nombre d'adultes qui ont déclaré que leur santé mentale était meilleure ou à peu près la même qu'avant la pandémie de COVID-19 était moindre à l'hiver et au printemps 2021 (58,1 %) par rapport à l'automne 2020 (66,5 %).