Universities as Intermediary Organizations: Catalyzing the Construction of an Age-Friendly City in Hong Kong.

Background and Objectives: The construction of an Age-Friendly City (AFC) requires active contribution from relevant interest groups including older adults, nonprofit organizations, and policy-makers. However, given that relevant interest groups may have limited resources, knowledge, and skills, as well as unique contextual factors, they often require help from intermediary organizations-actors that aim to build interest groups' capabilities. Our objectives were to examine the functions of universities, as an example of intermediary organizations, in facilitating the construction of an AFC, and identify critical factors that enable intermediary organizations to perform their functions. Research Design and Methods: We conducted three focus groups and one individual interview with multiple interest groups including older adults and social workers from nonprofit organizations and local government involved in a 6-year citywide AFC project in Hong Kong. Participants were asked to share their views on the role of universities in relation to their own experiences and roles in the project. Data generated from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes pertinent to the functions of universities in facilitating development were identified: facilitating cross-sector collaborations, knowledge diffusion, interest-group building, and mediating divergent interests. We also found that neutrality and reputability are key characteristics for intermediary organizations to wield sufficient legitimacy to perform their functions efficiently. Discussion and Implications: Findings underscore the important yet overlooked role of intermediary organizations in bridging and mediating different interest groups to facilitate AFC development. We advance gerontological scholarship by providing insights into the theoretical mechanisms and practice implications for intermediary organizations in fostering an AFC.

Depressive Symptoms and Coping Strategies in Community-Dwelling Older People Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Study.

This study aimed to examine depressive symptoms of community-dwelling older people amidst COVID-19 and explore how naturally occurring coping strategies were associated with depression. A mixed-method cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with 375 older people aged 60 years and above between March and May 2020 in Hong Kong. Trained social workers interviewed participants and assessed depressive symptoms with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Attribute coding and thematic analysis were adopted for qualitative data analyses. Generalized linear models (GLM) were used to examine the effects of demographics, self-reported risk factors and coping strategies on PHQ-9 scores. Participants' average PHQ-9 score was 1.9 (SD = 2.9), suggesting a low risk for depression in general. Over half of the participants reported adaptive coping strategies, including learning new things, staying physically, mentally, and socially active, and having a positive mind-set. GLM results indicated that living with family members (other than spouse) and/or others, maladaptive coping, and self-reported risk factors were significantly associated with higher PHQ-9 scores, while adaptive coping was significantly associated with lower PHQ-9 scores. Our study contributed to the growing literature on older people's resilience and adaptive coping during the pandemic, and the results may have implications for mental health promotion and community care.

Safeguarding health equality for the disadvantaged during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned for the social work profession.

An evaluation of the role played by the social work profession during the outbreak of COVID-19 is necessary. Although social workers have made efforts to address people's needs during the pandemic, it is worth examining the role they have played in safeguarding health equality. Focusing on the case of Hong Kong, we found that the profession was generally ill-prepared for the outbreak, and in particular, for confronting the attendant social inequalities. We identified three possible reasons for these findings: 1) non-governmental organizations were caught off-guard by the outbreak, 2) there was no clearly articulated intervention agenda to inform practitioners of the roles they should play in such a large-scale crisis, and 3) having become more formalized and standardized, social work services may have become less flexible in responding to emerging community needs. We conclude this article by suggesting three directions that could allow the profession to better pursue its mission during large-scale crises.

Associations between Volunteering and Mental Health during COVID-19 among Chinese Older Adults.

Evidence about the association between volunteering and the mental health of older adults during COVID-19 remains underexplored. This study investigated (1) patterns of volunteering among older adults in Hong Kong during COVID-19; (2) associations between volunteering and mental health of older adults during COVID-19; and (3) associations between key psychological resources (e.g., self-efficacy and self-esteem) and volunteering among older adults during COVID-19. This study applied a cross-sectional design with data collected from 128 older adults in June 2020, who were trained as volunteers in a volunteer program that began before COVID-19. The study found that older adults continued to actively contribute to their communities by engaging in volunteering during COVID-19. The specific type of volunteering activities was linked to few depressive and anxiety symptoms. Older adults with increased self-esteem prior to COVID-19 were more likely to participate in volunteering activities related to COVID-19. Our study suggested that encouraging older adults to volunteer during the pandemic is a key pathway to maintain mental health. Social workers are encouraged to engage older adults in volunteerism regularly to offset the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms in times of crisis.