Expressive Flexibility and Dispositional Optimism Contribute to the Elderly’s Resilience and Health-Related Quality of Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alberto Sardella, Vittorio Lenzo, George A. Bonanno, Giorgio Basile and Maria C. Quattropani
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Alberto Sardella: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Vittorio Lenzo: Department of Social and Educational Sciences of the Mediterranean Area, “Dante Alighieri” University for Foreigners of Reggio Calabria, 89125 Reggio Calabria, Italy
George A. Bonanno: Department of Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Giorgio Basile: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School and Unit of Geriatrics, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Maria C. Quattropani: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak had a negative impact on psychological status among elderly subjects, negatively affecting their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Psychological factors that promote resilience might beneficially contribute also to promoting a better HRQoL among elderly subjects. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the contribution of dispositional optimism and expressive flexibility on the HRQoL of elderly outpatients during the COVID-19 outbreak. The outpatients were recruited from October 2018 to October 2019, and then followed-up during April 2020, by evaluating their HRQoL. The baseline sample consisted of 141 elderly outpatients (mean age 80.31 ± 6.84 years); the final number of outpatients included in the follow-up evaluation was 104 (mean age 80.26 ± 6.39). Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were developed to explore significant associations with the physical and mental component of HRQoL. Baseline dispositional optimism was a predictor of the mental component of HRQoL at follow-up; the flexible suppression of emotional expression was a predictor of the physical component of HRQoL at follow-up. From a psychogeriatric perspective, the accurate assessment of psychological factors, such as dispositional optimism and expressive flexibility, might help physicians and psychologists to recognize additional patients’ vulnerabilities during the current emergency.

Keywords: quality of life; physical component summary; mental component summary; clinical psychology; dispositional optimism; expressive flexibility; elderly; COVID-19; public health (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 (5)

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