Video-Based Communication and Its Association with Loneliness, Mental Health and Quality of Life among Older People during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Tore Bonsaksen, Hilde Thygesen, Janni Leung, Mary Ruffolo, Mariyana Schoultz, Daicia Price and Amy Østertun Geirdal
Additional contact information
Tore Bonsaksen: Department of Health and Nursing Science, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2418 Elverum, Norway
Hilde Thygesen: Faculty of Health Studies, VID Specialized University, 4306 Sandnes, Norway
Janni Leung: Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Mary Ruffolo: School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Mariyana Schoultz: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Daicia Price: School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Amy Østertun Geirdal: Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the use of video-based communication and its association with loneliness, mental health and quality of life in older adults (60–69 years versus 70+ years) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020, and 836 participants in the relevant age groups were included in the analysis. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between the use of video-based communication tools and loneliness, mental health and quality of life within age groups, while adjusting by sociodemographic variables. Video-based communication tools were found to be more often used among participants aged 60–69 years (60.1%), compared to participants aged 70 or above (51.8%, p < 0.05). Adjusting for all variables, the use of video-based communication was associated with less loneliness ( ? = ?0.12, p < 0.01) and higher quality of life ( ? = 0.14, p < 0.01) among participants aged 60–69 years, while no associations were observed for participants in the oldest age group. The use of video-based communication tools was therefore associated with favorable psychological outcomes among participants in their sixties, but not among participants in the oldest age group. The study results support the notion that age may influence the association between the use of video-based communication tools and psychological outcomes amongst older people.

Keywords: coronavirus; cross-national study; pandemic; physical distancing; psychological outcomes; social distancing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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