Suchergebnisse

With increased physical restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many individuals, especially older adults and individuals with disabilities, experienced increased feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to identify factors associated with loneliness among older adults and people with disabilities residing in British Columbia (BC), Canada 10 months following COVID-19 physical restrictions. Participants included a total of 70 adults consisting of older adults (>65 years of age) without any self-reported disabilities and adults (aged 19 or above) with disabilities (e.g., stroke, spinal cord injury, etc.). Participants completed standardized self-report measures of their levels of anxiety, depression, social support, mobility, and loneliness. We used hierarchical linear regression to determine the association of age, sex, disability status, anxiety, depression, social support, and mobility with loneliness. Participants reported general low levels of loneliness, anxiety, and depression and an overall high level of perceived social support. Most participants reported living with others. Our analysis showed a positive association between anxiety and loneliness (β = 0.340, p = 0.011) and a negative association between social support and loneliness (β = −0.315, p = 0.006). There was no association between depression and loneliness (β = 0.210, p = 0.116) as well as between mobility and loneliness (β = −0.005, p = 0.968). These findings suggest that anxiety and social support have been significantly associated with loneliness in older adults and people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased efforts to reduce anxiety and improve social support in clinical and community settings may be helpful in reducing loneliness in older adults and people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study investigated the experiences of people with disabilities during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted individually with 13 participants between May 2020 and February 2021. The data were thematically analyzed. Three themes were identified: (1) "Being an active agent in changing how things are done in the face of COVID restrictions", revealed changes that participants made to their daily routines resulting from government-imposed and self-imposed restrictions; (2) "Pandemic restrictions wreak havoc", explained participants challenges with adapting to the restrictions; and (3) "Trying to be resilient in the face of pandemic changes" described participants' efforts to cope with life during the pandemic. The findings illustrate how life changed for people with disabilities during the pandemic. Participants reported specific types of challenges at each time point. As the vaccine rollout became more imminent, participants expressed more hope for the future and getting back to normal.