Fear and Frustration: A Qualitative Analysis of the Social and Political Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. Older Adults

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Title
Fear and Frustration: A Qualitative Analysis of the Social and Political Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. Older Adults
Author
Kacie Ryden
Sarah Schultz
Faculty Sponsor
Melissa Cannon
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic had dramatic impacts on the physical, social, and emotional health of individuals. Older adults, in particular, have experienced the highest mortality rates and the greatest concerns ranging from physical safety to economic stress to social isolation. This paper presents findings drawn from the COVID-19 Coping Study, a national longitudinal study of the social, behavioral, health, and economic pandemic impacts on older adults (aged 55+) in the U.S. The authors qualitatively analyzed attitudes, behaviors, fears, and frustrations expressed by the study participants in an open-ended survey question during the monthly follow-up survey in Fall 2020. The results revealed four major ways that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected older adults with regard to their sources of community: missing interactions with people; concern for safety from the virus; collective frustrations with the pandemic; and frustrations creating divisions within communities. This study sheds light on the struggles of older adults during a pandemic and may help inform future research on coping strategies and ways to better prepare for potential pandemics in the future.
Subject
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Gerontology
Health Policy
Politics and Social Change
Social Psychology
qualitative research
COVID-19
pandemic
aging
older adults
Rights
Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 06/01/2023, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Type
Text
volume
11
Date Published
12/14/2022
Note
Melissa Cannon
Alternative Title
Qualitative Analysis Social Political Impacts COVID Older Adults
Identifier
pure/vol11/iss1/10