Abstract
ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has had potentially severe psychological implications for older adults, including those in retirement communities, due to restricted social interactions, but the day-to-day experience of loneliness has received limited study. We sought to investigate sequential association, if any, between loneliness, activity, and affect.MethodsWe used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) with dynamic network analysis to investigate the affective and behavioral concomitants of loneliness in 22 residents of an independent living sector of a continuing care retirement community (mean age 80.2; range 68–93 years).ResultsParticipants completed mean 83.9% of EMA surveys (SD = 16.1%). EMA ratings of loneliness were moderately correlated with UCLA loneliness scale scores. Network models showed that loneliness was contemporaneously associated with negative affect (worried, anxious, restless, irritable). Negative (but not happy or positive) mood tended to be followed by loneliness and then by exercise or outdoor physical activity. Negative affect had significant and high inertia (stability).ConclusionsThe data suggest that EMA is feasible and acceptable to older adults. EMA-assessed loneliness was moderately associated with scale-assessed loneliness. Network models in these independent living older adults indicated strong links between negative affect and loneliness, but feelings of loneliness were followed by outdoor activity, suggesting adaptive behavior among relatively healthy adults.
Highlights
Social Isolation and Loneliness (SI/L) have assumed pandemic proportions over recent decades, in part driven by globalization and ultra-rapid rise in technology [1, 2]
While much is known about chronic loneliness and long-term health effects, the impact of state loneliness on day-to-day behavior is less researched, its dynamics among older adults during the pandemic
Due to the older mean age of this sample (80 years) than in prior studies, we evaluated both the feasibility of Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) with respect to adherence and convergence of EMA questions on loneliness with standard scale-based measures of loneliness
Summary
Social Isolation and Loneliness (SI/L) have assumed pandemic proportions over recent decades, in part driven by globalization and ultra-rapid rise in technology [1, 2]. A common inference during COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing strict isolation measures is that older adults in independent living conditions were likely to have encountered loneliness [5–8]; During the pandemic period, it is unclear whether and how day-to-day or micro-level experiences of loneliness related to affect or behavior. Chronic loneliness is a consistent set of beliefs regarding the lack of connections with others and yet state loneliness refers immediate experience of social disconnection. The relationship between loneliness and social behavior is somewhat unclear in older adults. Loneliness was not found to be related to social activity among older adults in one study [16]. While much is known about chronic loneliness and long-term health effects, the impact of state loneliness on day-to-day behavior is less researched, its dynamics among older adults during the pandemic
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