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Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Schlomann

    (Heidelberg University
    Heidelberg University of Education)

  • Mareike Bünning

    (WZB Berlin Social Science Center
    German Center of Gerontology (DZA))

  • Lena Hipp

    (WZB Berlin Social Science Center
    University of Potsdam)

  • Hans-Werner Wahl

    (Heidelberg University
    Heidelberg University)

Abstract

Existing theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people’s psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40–64 years) and older individuals (65–79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group,” particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Schlomann & Mareike Bünning & Lena Hipp & Hans-Werner Wahl, 2022. "Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1077-1086, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-021-00655-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00655-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Liat Ayalon & Alison Chasteen & Manfred Diehl & Becca R Levy & Shevaun D Neupert & Klaus Rothermund & Clemens Tesch-Römer & Hans-Werner Wahl, 2021. "Aging in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Avoiding Ageism and Fostering Intergenerational Solidarity," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 76(2), pages 49-52.
    2. Susanne Scheibe & Laura L. Carstensen, 2010. "Emotional Aging: Recent Findings and Future Trends," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 65(2), pages 135-144.
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