Abstract
Objective: COVID-19-related social restrictions resulted in more loneliness, but whether this had further effects on mental health remains unclear. This study aimed at examining the longitudinal effects of COVID-19-related loneliness on mental health among older adults (aged ≥60 years) in Austria.
Study design: Survey data were gathered from a longitudinal observational study among a random sample of older Austrian adults. The first survey wave was conducted in May 2020 (N 1 = 557), and the second wave was conducted in March 2021 (N 2 = 463).
Methods: Data collection was based on either computer-assisted web or telephone interviewing. For statistical analysis, we used a cross-lagged panel analysis.
Results: The results showed the perceived COVID-19-related social restrictions to predict loneliness, which in turn predicted depressive and anxiety symptoms 10 months later.
Conclusions: COVID-19-related loneliness emerged as a risk factor for subsequent mental distress among older adults in Austria.
Keywords: Anxiety symptoms; COVID-19; Depressive symptoms; Loneliness.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, loneliness, Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, 【초록키워드】 mental health, survey, loneliness, risk factor, Adults, second wave, predict, Analysis, Data collection, distress, statistical analysis, Older, depressive, random, Effect, Mental, anxiety symptom, predicted, subsequent, conducted, turn, 【제목키워드】 loneliness, Symptom, longitudinal, distress, Older, Effect, Mental,