ArticlePsychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society2024
Mentally healthy living after pandemic social distancing: a study of older Canadians reveals helpful anxiety reduction strategies.
Article in Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Exploring the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on mood, anxiety, and neurocognitive disorders in older adults: sex, geographic context, and healthcare setting considerations.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Average or extraordinary? A tale of two studied samples' anxiety related recovery work after COVID-19.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Factors Associated with Older People's Anxiety Symptom Positioning after COVID-19: Cross-Sectional Findings from a Canadian Sample.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older Canadians were the most at risk of severe physical harm, including death, and their return to post-COVID life was expected to be especially anxiety-provoking. A study was conducted to obtain nationally representative evidence of older Canadians' self-perceived anxiety levels and their strategies to manage or mitigate it as public health restrictions were lifting. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis study had a cross-sectional descriptive design. An e-survey was used to collect data from 1327 Canadians aged 60+ stratified by age, sex, and education to resemble the larger general population. Participants completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-10) and indicated which of the 16 Centre for Addictions and Mental Health's (2022) Coping with Stress and Anxiety strategies they were using to manage or mitigate their anxiety when social distancing was lifting. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used to explore the data.
resultsWhile, on average, older Canadians were mildly anxious, nearly one-quarter of responders rated their anxiety as severe. Age, sex, perceived health, were statistically significant correlates of anxiety. Six coping strategies were associated with significantly lower anxiety scores. Moreover, accepting some fear and anxiety as normal, challenging worries and anxious thoughts, and practising relaxation/meditation appeared to increase anxiety.
conclusionOlder Canadians used multiple strategies to manage or mitigate their anxiety, and seemingly, with more successful than detrimental tries. Practitioners have much to learn and understand about older people's mental health promotion efforts after social distancing, now and for future pandemics.
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