Abstract
Introduction: Psychological studies undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic rarely include people in their 60s or older. In our study, we studied the predictors of quality of life, well-being, and life satisfaction (including risky behavior, trait anxiety, feeling of threat, sleep quality, and optimism) during the pandemic in older people from Germany and Poland and compared them to three different age groups.Methods: A total of 494 adults in four groups−60+ (N = 60), 50–60 (N = 139), 36–49 (N = 155), <35 (N = 140)—completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing: socio-demographic data, quality of life, trait anxiety, risk tolerance, Coronavirus threat, optimism regarding the pandemic, difficulty relaxing, life satisfaction, well-being, and sleep quality during the pandemic period.Results: Older people rated their quality of life higher than did young (mean difference=0.74, SE=0.19, p < 0.01) and middle-aged (mean difference=0.79, SE=0.18, p < 0.01) participants, rated their life satisfaction higher than young (mean difference=1.23, SE = 0.31, p < 0.01) and middle-aged (mean difference=0.92, SE = 0.30, p < 0.05) participants, and rated their well-being higher than young (mean difference=1.40, SE = 0.31, p < 0.01) and middle-aged (mean difference=0.91, SE = 0.31, p < 0.05) participants. They also experienced lower levels of trait anxiety and Coronavirus threat (mean difference=-9.19, SE = 1.90, p < 0.01) than the younger age groups. They experienced greater risk tolerance (mean difference=1.38, SE=0.33, p < 0.01), sleep quality (F =1 .25; eta2 = 0.01), and optimism (F = 1.96; eta2 = 0.01), and had less difficulty relaxing during the pandemic (F = 3.75; eta2 = 0.02) than middle-aged respondents.Conclusions: Quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being during the pandemic is affected by age, trait anxiety, and Coronavirus threat. Older people rated their quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being during pandemic higher than young people, and experienced lower levels of trait anxiety and Coronavirus threat than the younger age groups. They experienced greater risk tolerance, sleep quality, and optimism, and had less difficulty relaxing than middle-aged respondents.
Highlights
Psychological studies undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic rarely include people in their 60s or older
We focused on identifying the predictors of quality of life, well-being, sleep, and life satisfaction during the pandemic in older people from Central Europe (Germany and Poland), including factors such as risk behavior, trait anxiety, feeling of threat, sleep quality, and optimism, comparing them to three different age groups
It is worth noting that trait anxiety was positively correlated with Coronavirus threat and difficulty relaxing during the pandemic period, while it was negatively correlated with risk tolerance and, all variables regarding quality of life during the pandemic period
Summary
Psychological studies undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic rarely include people in their 60s or older. The risk of death and serious complications associated with COVID-19 increases with age. Data from most countries indicates that the rise in mortality rates in people suffering from pre-existing medical conditions (severe chronic diseases, e.g., heart disease) was an additional factor burdening the elderly population [3, 4]. Data from the Oxford COVID-19 Evidence Service (from the 25th March 2020) indicates a risk of mortality of 3.6% for people in their 60s, which increases to 8.0 and 14.8% for people in their 70s and 80s, respectively [7]. According to data from the United States, from 10 to 27% people aged over 85 are at risk of death [8, 9]
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