Age Differences in Risk and Resilience Factors in COVID-19-Related Stress

Pearman,, Ann; Hughes,, MacKenzie L; Smith,, Emily L; Neupert,, Shevaun D

OBJECTIVES: Older adults are at higher risk for death and infirmity from COVID-19 than younger and middle-age adults. The current study examines COVID-19-specific anxiety and proactive coping as potential risk and resilience factors that may be differentially important for younger and older adults in understanding stress experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Five hundred and fifteen adults aged 20-79 in the U.S. reported on their anxiety about developing COVID-19, proactive coping, and stress related to COVID-19 in an online survey. RESULTS: Although there were no age differences in stress levels, anxiety about developing COVID-19 was associated with more COVID-19 stress for older adults relative to younger adults, but proactive coping was associated with less COVID-19 stress for older adults relative to younger adults. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that anxiety might function as a risk factor whereas proactive coping may function as a resilience factor for older adults’ COVID-19 stress. We encourage future context-dependent investigations into mental health among older adults during this pandemic and beyond.