IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i14p7317-d590805.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Coping Strategies Used by Older Adults to Deal with Contact Isolation in the Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Jogé Boumans

    (Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands)

  • Aukelien Scheffelaar

    (Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands)

  • Vera P. van Druten

    (Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands
    Jeroen Bosch Academy Research, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, 5223 GZ ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands)

  • Tessel H. G. Hendriksen

    (Jeroen Bosch Academy Research, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, 5223 GZ ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands)

  • Lenny M. W. Nahar-van Venrooij

    (Jeroen Bosch Academy Research, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, 5223 GZ ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands)

  • Andrea D. Rozema

    (Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults have experienced contact isolation in a hospital setting which leads to separation from relatives, loss of freedom, and uncertainty regarding disease status. The objective of this study was to explore how older adults (55+) cope with contact isolation in a hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to improve their physical and psychological wellbeing. The realist evaluation approach was used to formulate initial program theories on coping strategies used by (older) adults in an isolation setting. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews with older patients ( n = 21) were analysed. This study revealed that both emotion-focused coping strategies as well as problem-focused coping strategies were used by older adults during contact isolation. The study also uncovered some new specific coping strategies. The results have useful implications for hospital staff seeking to improve the wellbeing of older adults in contact isolation in hospitals. Problem-focused coping strategies could be stimulated through staff performing care in a person-centred way. Trust in staff, as part of emotion-focused coping strategies, could be stimulated by improving the relationship between patients and staff.

Suggested Citation

  • Jogé Boumans & Aukelien Scheffelaar & Vera P. van Druten & Tessel H. G. Hendriksen & Lenny M. W. Nahar-van Venrooij & Andrea D. Rozema, 2021. "Coping Strategies Used by Older Adults to Deal with Contact Isolation in the Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-19, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7317-:d:590805
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7317/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7317/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fredda Blanchard-Fields & Andrew Mienaltowski & Renee Baldi Seay, 2007. "Age Differences in Everyday Problem-Solving Effectiveness: Older Adults Select More Effective Strategies for Interpersonal Problems," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(1), pages 61-64.
    2. Miel A P Vugts & Margot C W Joosen & Jessica E van der Geer & Aglaia M E E Zedlitz & Hubertus J M Vrijhoef, 2018. "The effectiveness of various computer-based interventions for patients with chronic pain or functional somatic syndromes: A systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-27, May.
    3. Natascha J. E. van Vooren & Hanneke W. Drewes & Esther de Weger & Inge M. B. Bongers & Caroline A. Baan, 2020. "Cross-Sector Collaboration for a Healthy Living Environment—Which Strategies to Implement, Why, and in Which Context?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-15, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jonathan J. Rolison & Yaniv Hanoch & Stacey Wood & Pi-Ju Liu, 2014. "Risk-Taking Differences Across the Adult Life Span: A Question of Age and Domain," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 69(6), pages 870-880.
    2. Anna Darbonne & Bert Uchino & Anthony Ong, 2013. "What Mediates Links Between Age and Well-being? A Test of Social Support and Interpersonal Conflict as Potential Interpersonal Pathways," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 951-963, June.
    3. Marjolein Thijssen & Maud J. L. Graff & Monique A. S. Lexis & Maria W. G. Nijhuis-van der Sanden & Kate Radford & Pip A. Logan & Ramon Daniels & Wietske Kuijer-Siebelink, 2023. "Collaboration for Developing and Sustaining Community Dementia-Friendly Initiatives: A Realist Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Natalie A McNerney & Michael J Losensky & Madison M Lash & Kendal R Rozaieski & Daniela Ortiz & Alessandra N Garcia & Zachary D Rethorn, 2020. "Low theoretical fidelity hinders the research on health coaching for opioid reduction: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Kunzmann, Ute & Richter, David & Schmukle, Stefan C., 2013. "Stability and Change in Affective Experience Across the Adult Life Span: Analyses With a National Sample From Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(6), pages 1086-1095.
    6. Bianca Mendes & Isabel Miguel, 2024. "Age and Burnout: The Mediating Role of Emotion-Regulation Strategies," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, May.
    7. Yulu Zhao & Xinye Xu & Gangwei Cai & Zhetao Hu & Yan Hong, 2022. "Promoting Strategies for Healthy Environments in University Halls of Residence under Regular Epidemic Prevention and Control: An Importance—Performance Analysis from Zhejiang, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-19, November.
    8. Nathalie Hauk & Anja S Göritz & Stefan Krumm, 2019. "The mediating role of coping behavior on the age-technostress relationship: A longitudinal multilevel mediation model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-22, March.
    9. Yan Bing Zhang & Weston T. Wiebe, 2022. "Intergenerational Conflict-Initiating Factors and Management Styles: U.S. Older Adults’ Report," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, November.
    10. Lina Braun & Yannik Terhorst & Ingrid Titzler & Johanna Freund & Janika Thielecke & David Daniel Ebert & Harald Baumeister, 2022. "Lessons Learned from an Attempted Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial for Improvement of Chronic Pain-Associated Disability in Green Professions: Long-Term Effectiveness of a Guided Online-Based Acc," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-24, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7317-:d:590805. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.