Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over

The unpredictable spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, national lockdowns, and public health measures implemented in the Czech Republic had a negative effect on older adults’ mental health and loneliness. The 2,631 older adults in 2020 and 2,083 older adults in 2021 used in this study formed a nationall...

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Main Authors: Jitka Vaculíková PhD, Magdalena Hanková PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-05-01
Series:Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231174129
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author Jitka Vaculíková PhD
Magdalena Hanková PhD
author_facet Jitka Vaculíková PhD
Magdalena Hanková PhD
author_sort Jitka Vaculíková PhD
collection DOAJ
description The unpredictable spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, national lockdowns, and public health measures implemented in the Czech Republic had a negative effect on older adults’ mental health and loneliness. The 2,631 older adults in 2020 and 2,083 older adults in 2021 used in this study formed a nationally representative sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Almost every third older adult experienced feelings of loneliness in both stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. Loneliness increased in 2021 in those individuals who reported their physical health as poor, who felt nervous, sad or depressed, and who had ever left their home since the outbreak. According to age-related drivers of loneliness, feelings of loneliness were prevalent (40% vs. 45%) among younger retirees in both waves. In both data sets, declared feelings of sadness or depression were the strongest sustainable predictor of loneliness (2020 and 2021 models, OR  = 3.69; 95% CI [2.90, 4.69] and OR  = 2.55; [1.97, 3.30]). Being a woman and feeling nervous equated with a higher likelihood of feeling lonely compared to counterparts. Policy makers should therefore aim to carefully improve psychosocial and health-related consequences faced by this vulnerable population during the pandemic and beyond.
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spelling doaj.art-a2930d35cda3469b93ceaa85eca452302023-05-20T20:33:25ZengSAGE PublishingGerontology and Geriatric Medicine2333-72142023-05-01910.1177/23337214231174129Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and OverJitka Vaculíková PhD0Magdalena Hanková PhD1Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech RepublicTomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech RepublicThe unpredictable spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, national lockdowns, and public health measures implemented in the Czech Republic had a negative effect on older adults’ mental health and loneliness. The 2,631 older adults in 2020 and 2,083 older adults in 2021 used in this study formed a nationally representative sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Almost every third older adult experienced feelings of loneliness in both stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. Loneliness increased in 2021 in those individuals who reported their physical health as poor, who felt nervous, sad or depressed, and who had ever left their home since the outbreak. According to age-related drivers of loneliness, feelings of loneliness were prevalent (40% vs. 45%) among younger retirees in both waves. In both data sets, declared feelings of sadness or depression were the strongest sustainable predictor of loneliness (2020 and 2021 models, OR  = 3.69; 95% CI [2.90, 4.69] and OR  = 2.55; [1.97, 3.30]). Being a woman and feeling nervous equated with a higher likelihood of feeling lonely compared to counterparts. Policy makers should therefore aim to carefully improve psychosocial and health-related consequences faced by this vulnerable population during the pandemic and beyond.https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231174129
spellingShingle Jitka Vaculíková PhD
Magdalena Hanková PhD
Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over
Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
title Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over
title_full Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over
title_fullStr Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over
title_full_unstemmed Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over
title_short Loneliness and Mental Health in Response to Early and Late COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study of Czech Adults Aged 50 and Over
title_sort loneliness and mental health in response to early and late covid 19 outbreak a cross sectional study of czech adults aged 50 and over
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231174129
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AT magdalenahankovaphd lonelinessandmentalhealthinresponsetoearlyandlatecovid19outbreakacrosssectionalstudyofczechadultsaged50andover