Resilience and Hassles Trajectories Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Despite higher physical vulnerability to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), older adults reported less psychological stress than younger and midlife adults during the pandemic. However, little is known about age differences in stress within later life, and most COVID-19 studies have been cross-sectional. We examined weekly hassles exposure and severity trajectories and whether these trajectories differed by age, resilience factors (higher trait resilience and education), and vulnerability factors (identifying as a woman, being a person of color, and having chronic health conditions).

Community-dwelling adults aged 50+ in Oregon (Mage = 71.1, standard deviation = 7.3; 74% women, 89% non-Hispanic White) completed weekly online surveys across 8 weeks (April 28-June 22, 2020) during the COVID-19 stay-at-home mandate. A 2-part model estimated how age, resilience, and vulnerability factors predicted weekly odds of any hassle exposure and level of severity.

Across time, hassles exposure decreased and the rate of severity declined, but these patterns differed by age and other demographics. The old-old (estimated at age 78) remained stable in odds of any exposure, whereas the young-old (estimated at age 64) evidenced a J-shaped curve; age did not moderate the severity slopes. Furthermore, both resilience factors were associated with exposure trajectories, whereas vulnerability factors (race/ethnicity and chronic illness) were associated with levels of hassles severity.

There were age differences in patterns of hassles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, resilience and vulnerability factors also showed complex patterns, underscoring the need for future studies to focus on age differences in well-being in later life.