DOES RESILIENCE OR SES PREDICT OLDER ADULTS FINDING A SILVER LINING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched our limits physically, mentally, and economically; however, some older adults report that it led to a positive life change. We used data from the NSHAP COVID-19 supplement to understand whether resilience and SES (both measured in 2015-16) are predictors of older adults’ likelihood of endorsing a positive change during the pandemic. Additionally, we examined whether resilience and SES predict specific positive changes described in open-ended responses. Higher education significantly predicted reporting a positive change during the pandemic. Adjusting for resilience (OR 1.0, p= 0.185), the odds of endorsing any positive change were 1.9 times higher for those with an associate degree (p=0.027) and 3.3 times higher for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (p<0.001) compared to those who did not complete high school. Specific positive change domains also differed by SES. Additional research is needed to understand how SES and benefit-finding contribute to well-being.