Department of Human Development and Family Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA.
Department of Public Health, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA.
Gerontologist. 2024 Jul 1;64(7). doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad164.
Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older adults developed coping strategies to adapt to the necessary social distancing precautions; however, over time, especially as vaccines became available, their need and ability to adapt and cope shifted. This longitudinal, mixed-methods study investigates changes in older adults' perceptions of coping across the first 2 years of the pandemic.
Between April 2020 and June 2022, 5 waves of interviews were conducted with 76 Midwestern older adults aged 70-97. At each timepoint, participants rated their level of perceived coping. They also answered a series of open-ended questions about their current daily life, experiences, and perceptions during the pandemic.
Repeated-measure ANOVA indicated participants' perceived coping significantly increased over 2 years and qualitative explanations contextualized these shifts. Thematic coding of interview transcripts identified themes of: (1) taking problem-focused approaches and (2) cultivating emotional resiliency, with multiple subthemes nested within each. Subtheme meanings shifted once vaccines were available, as participants adapted to a "new normal" lifestyle and appreciated their own resilience.
Findings suggest older adults had nuanced and shifting coping experiences throughout the initial 2 years of the pandemic, but overall coped by drawing on life experiences. Our discussion highlights variability in older adults' coping over time and directions for future study and practice.
在 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间，老年人制定了应对策略以适应必要的社交距离预防措施；然而，随着时间的推移，尤其是随着疫苗的出现，他们适应和应对的需求和能力发生了变化。这项纵向、混合方法研究调查了 COVID-19 大流行的头 2 年中老年人对应对策略的看法变化。
在 2020 年 4 月至 2022 年 6 月期间，对来自中西部地区的 76 名 70-97 岁的老年人进行了 5 轮访谈。在每个时间点，参与者都对他们的应对能力进行了评估。他们还回答了一系列关于他们在大流行期间当前日常生活、经历和看法的开放性问题。
重复测量方差分析表明，参与者的应对能力在 2 年内显著提高，而定性解释则说明了这些变化。访谈记录的主题编码确定了两个主题：（1）采取问题导向的方法；（2）培养情绪弹性，每个主题都有多个子主题。一旦疫苗可用，主题编码的含义就发生了变化，因为参与者适应了“新常态”的生活方式，并对自己的适应能力表示赞赏。
研究结果表明，老年人在 COVID-19 大流行的最初 2 年内有细致入微且不断变化的应对经验，但总体上通过利用生活经验来应对。我们的讨论强调了老年人应对能力的时间变化的可变性以及未来研究和实践的方向。
