New Study Reveals Older Adults Coped With Pandemic Best

A study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences found adults 60 and older have fared better emotionally during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to younger and middle-aged adults, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers analyzed daily diary data collected between mid-March and mid-April, revealing that older adults experienced greater emotional well-being and less stress and anxiety related to the pandemic. They looked at data from 776 participants aged 18 to 91 who lived in Canada and the United States, and the University of British Columbia's Patrick Klaiber thinks the difference in reported stress levels could stem from age-related stressors and how well different age groups react to stress. "Younger and middle-aged adults are faced with family- and work-related challenges, such as working from home, homeschooling children, and unemployment," he explained. "They are also more likely to experience different types of ongoing non-pandemic stressors than older adults, such as interpersonal conflicts." Older adults, meanwhile, have more coping skills to contend with stress thanks to their age and wisdom. Older and middle-aged adults also had more daily positive events, like remote positive social interactions, in 75 percent of their daily surveys, which helped boost positive emotions compared to younger adults.