Resiliency Helps Older Adults Deal With the Pandemic

Medical News Today reports that a recent article in JAMA suggests the social isolation from loved ones that seniors are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic may not necessarily translate into deteriorating mental health. Researchers at institutions in Massachusetts, California, and Pennsylvania considered early data from several global studies on older adults and mental health during the crisis. Although older adults are considered a vulnerable group for severe COVID-19 and related death, the investigators found they were less negatively affected by mental health strain than younger peers. For example, a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that older adults were less likely to start or increase substance use and less likely to consider suicide. According to the evidence, the authors suggested older adults better endure the mental health stress of the pandemic due to increased resilience and a motivation to stay connected with others. "However, despite this early resilience, older adults expressed concerns about their longer-term physical and financial well-being," the authors acknowledge. Resilience also might correlate with wisdom, with analysis indicating that having wisdom is associated with higher levels of compassion and reduced loneliness. The researchers said more access to technology could improve resiliency in older adults who do not have smartphones, for instance.