Psychological Wellbeing and Life Satisfaction among Chinese Older Immigrants in Canada across the Early and Late Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

This study compared the psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, and perceived social support in Chinese older immigrants living in Canada between the early (i.e., Wave 1: September-November 2020) and late (i.e., Wave 2: January-February 2023) stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it assessed perceived social support from family, friends, or others as predictors for psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction in this population. These questions were addressed with a cross-sectional survey design with two independent samples at Wave 1 (n = 171) and Wave 2 (n = 191), respectively. The results revealed lower levels of psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, and perceived social support in Wave 2 compared to Wave 1. The hierarchical regression models identified social support from friends (but not from family or others) as a significant predictor for psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction. Additionally, a higher level of income and being a male predicted better psychological wellbeing. A higher level of income and a lower level of education predicted greater life satisfaction. The findings suggest a deterioration in psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction from the early to late stages of the pandemic and highlight the protective effect of social support from friends among Chinese older immigrants.