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Reminiscing and intergenerational advice giving during the COVID-19 pandemic
Vincent P Salabarria1, Odette N Gould1
1Department of Psychology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, Canada.
Aging & Mental Health
|July 11, 2023
Summary
Older adults
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Reminiscing is a cognitive process linked to psychological well-being in older adults.
- The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges and stressors for older populations worldwide.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between older adults' reminiscing patterns and their appraisal of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To explore how reminiscing influences advice given by older adults to younger generations facing life challenges.
Main Methods:
- 107 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 74.55) completed questionnaires on pandemic-related life disruption, reminiscing frequency and type, and pandemic appraisals.
- A subset of 40 participants wrote advice essays for younger adults on overcoming life challenges.
Main Results:
- Positive reminiscence functions correlated with both positive and negative pandemic appraisals.
- Negative reminiscence functions correlated with negative pandemic appraisals.
- Higher reminiscing frequency was associated with more positively and negatively valenced advice, particularly concerning identity development.
Conclusions:
- Positive reminiscing facilitates older adults' ability to perceive both positive and negative aspects of challenging life events.
- Reminiscing plays a role in how older adults process adversity and impart wisdom to younger individuals.
Keywords:
Advice-givingCOVID-19 pandemicappraisals and agingintergenerational communicationolder adulthoodreminiscenceMore Related Videos
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