Caregiving and Living Alone: Impact on Older Women's Mental Health During COVID-19
Author Information
Author(s): Zhu Yiwen, Farmer Justin
Primary Institution: Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Hypothesis
How do caregiving and living alone affect the mental health of older women during the stress of COVID-19?
Conclusion
Caregiving and living alone are linked to higher distress and lower positive functioning in older women, but social support can mitigate these effects.
Supporting Evidence
- Caregiving stress is linked to worse mental health outcomes.
- Caregivers without stress have better mental health than non-caregivers.
- Older women living alone with social support have similar mental health to those living with others.
- Lack of social support significantly increases distress in older women.
Takeaway
Taking care of others and living alone can make older women feel more stressed, but having friends or family to support them can help them feel better.
Methodology
The study assessed caregiving roles and living arrangements of older female former nurses and their mental health outcomes over one year.
Participant Demographics
Older female former nurses with a mean age of 67.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
OR depression =2.08[1.88-2.31], OR depression =0.74[0.67-0.81], OR depression =3.11[2.55-3.79]
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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