COVID-19 pandemic lockdown responses from an emotional perspective: Family function as a differential pattern among older adults

ABSTRACT

Family can be an essential resource at times of loss or vital crisis. Loneliness and isolation in older adults might have serious negative consequences for their mental health. For this reason, this research aims to analyze the role of family function in the anxiety and depression experienced by older adults during the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Participants were 882 Spanish community-dwelling adults over 60 years of age. Sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics related to the coronavirus, self-perceived health, family function, avoidance, depression and anxiety were analyzed. Data suggest a buffering effect of family function on anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Furthermore, being unmarried or a female, greater fear of COVID-19, worse self-perceived health, greater avoidance, and worse family function were associated with higher levels of anxiety. Likewise, greater fear of COVID-19, poorer self-perceived health, greater avoidance, and poorer family function, were associated with greater depression. These results point out that family dysfunction is a predisposing factor for the development of the emotional problems of anxiety and depression in older people in potentially stressful and loss situations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) La familia puede ser un recurso fundamental en momentos de perdidas y crisis vitales. La soledad y el aislamiento en personas mayores provocan consecuencias negativas para su salud mental. La presente investigacion analiza el rol de la funcion familiar en la ansiedad y depresion experimentadas por personas mayores durante la pandemia ocasionada por el COVID-19. Participaron 882 adultos mayores de 60 anos evaluandose caracteristicas sociodemograficas y del coronavirus, salud, funcion familiar, evitacion, depresion y ansiedad. Los datos sugieren un factor amortiguador de la funcion familiar sobre la ansiedad y depresion durante la pandemia. Ademas, no estar casado, ser mujer, mayor miedo al COVID-19, una peor salud autopercibida, mayor evitacion y una peor funcion familiar se asociaba con mayores niveles de ansiedad. Mientras que mayor miedo al COVID-19, una peor salud autopercibida, mayor evitacion y una peor funcion familiar se relacionaban con mayor depresion. Los resultados permiten senalar que la disfuncion familiar es un factor predisponente para el desarrollo de problemas emocionales de ansiedad y depresion en personas mayores en situaciones potencialmente estresantes y de perdida. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)