The Effect of Vaccines on Older African Americans Emotional Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health emergency that has forced a change in the daily life of all individuals across the nation for over a year. As vaccinations have begun in Detroit, we examined their effect on older African Americans’ emotional experiences and intent to get vaccinated during the pandemic to help understand how persons make decisions to accept vaccinations. For this study, 194 community-dwelling older African Americans (mean age = 75, age range = 64-94) were recruited from the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology Healthier Black Elders Center and general Detroit area. A telephone survey was administered to assess pandemic experience including demographics, emotional responses (e.g., gratitude, happiness, anger, fear), everyday stressors (e.g., economic problems, reduced privacy), and vaccination attitude (e.g., concern over safety, intent to vaccinate). Of the 194 participants, 149 completed the survey before the first vaccination occurred in the United States on December 15, 2020, and 45 completed the survey after. Participants had not yet been vaccinated, but 67% said they would as soon as available. Participants in the post-vaccination group, as compared to pre-vaccination group, showed increases in stress-related locus of control (p=.03) and reported being more likely to get vaccinated (p=.02). They showed decreased worry about availability of health and safety supplies (p=.01), reduced perceived stress (p=.02), and a decrease in fears of COVID-19 (p=.05) and vaccination safety (p<.001). The current study highlights the effect of vaccinations on the attitudes and emotions experienced by an older minority population living in an urban area.


PROTECTIVE AND RISK FACTORS OF DEPRESSION AMONG OLDER ADULTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Yeonjung Lee, 1 and Tyran Terada, 2 1. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa,Honolulu,Hawaii,United States,2. University of Hawai`i,Honolulu,Hawaii,United States The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic adversely impacted the mental health of older adults. This study aims to explore the associations between protective/risk factors of depression during the pandemic and to examine the differences in these associations by marital status. Data from the Health and Retirement Study 2020 COVID-19 module, released in February, 2021, were used. The level of resilience during the pandemic was selected as a protective factor. The level of COVID-19 pandemic concern was selected as a risk factor. Among older adults aged 51 years and older, the weighted regression model found that higher levels of COVID-19 concern were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (p<0.05), whereas higher levels of resilience were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (p<0.05). Marital status moderated the association between COVID-19 concern and depressive symptoms. Never-married people were at higher risk of depressive symptoms than married people when COVID-19 concerns increased. It is important to enhance support for never-married people during the pandemic to protect their psychological well-being.

SOCIAL ISOLATION, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENT OF OLDER ADULTS DURING COVID-19
Ke Li, 1 and Fengyan Tang, 2 1. University of Pittsburgh,Sandy Springs,Georgia,United States,2. University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania,United States Social isolation has been recognized as a social problem with negative effects on psychological well-being. Older adults are disproportionately affected by social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 Project, this study examined the relationship between social isolation and depressive symptoms among two groups of respondents differentiated by whether themselves or their social relationships were diagnosed with COVID-19. This study also explored the moderating role of perceived neighborhood environment. Depressive symptoms were measured using the eight-item CES-D. The index of social isolation was generated using five indicators, including living alone, no social participation, and less than monthly contact with children, family members, and friends. The moderator assessed two aspects of the neighborhood environment, including physical disorder and social cohesion. The results of bivariate analyses showed that respondents who were affected by COVID-19 were younger, more likely to be female, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Black, and with lower levels of social isolation. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that social isolation was associated with more depressive symptoms, but this relationship was found to be only significant among respondents who were affected by COVID-19. Perceived neighborhood environment significantly moderated the relationship, as the effect of social isolation on depressive symptoms was stronger for respondents with more neighborhood physical disorders and less social cohesion. This study has implications for practice and policy, in that it underscored the importance of enacting strategies to improve the neighborhood environment, particularly for socially isolated older adults during the COVID-19.
how persons make decisions to accept vaccinations. For this study, 194 community-dwelling older African Americans (mean age = 75, age range = 64-94) were recruited from the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology Healthier Black Elders Center and general Detroit area. A telephone survey was administered to assess pandemic experience including demographics, emotional responses (e.g., gratitude, happiness, anger, fear), everyday stressors (e.g., economic problems, reduced privacy), and vaccination attitude (e.g., concern over safety, intent to vaccinate). Of the 194 participants, 149 completed the survey before the first vaccination occurred in the United States on December 15, 2020, and 45 completed the survey after. Participants had not yet been vaccinated, but 67% said they would as soon as available. Participants in the post-vaccination group, as compared to pre-vaccination group, showed increases in stress-related locus of control (p=.03) and reported being more likely to get vaccinated (p=.02). They showed decreased worry about availability of health and safety supplies (p=.01), reduced perceived stress (p=.02), and a decrease in fears of COVID-19 (p=.05) and vaccination safety (p<.001). The current study highlights the effect of vaccinations on the attitudes and emotions experienced by an older minority population living in an urban area.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 CONCERNS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS: A RAPID REVIEW Sophia Perez, Alexandria Nuccio, and Ashley Stripling, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic continues to drastically impact older adults. Despite COVID-19 being linked to increased social isolation and loneliness, more research is needed on the psychological effects associated with older adults' concerns of the pandemic. The current review explores associations between the COVID-19 Pandemic and older adults' mental health to increase awareness and understanding. For this rapid review, empirical peer-reviewed source documents were identified through a computerized search using APA PsycInfo and Google Scholar bibliographical databases covering the years 2019 to 2021. The following keywords and combinations were used: "older adults," "COVID-19," and "mental health effects." Relevant exclusion criteria were applied, and all related Englishlanguage journal articles were read. 47 articles met inclusion criteria. Eight associated COVID-19 stress with loneliness, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and poor psychological well-being, with three additional articles reporting elevations in women. Three articles revealed mixed findings regarding the impact of age on psychological variables. 13 articles evaluated changes among those with psychological/ psychiatric diagnoses, and six explored physical activity and depression. Of the remaining articles, two concentrated on nutrition; seven examined routines, behaviors, and societal or risk perceptions; two evaluated coping mechanisms; and three examined emotional distress changes. Understanding COVID-19's psychological impact on older adults will take time. This rapid review revealed mixed findings regarding COVID-19 related concerns on older adults' psychological well-being, with multiple demographic variables uniquely impacting these outcomes. It is imperative that future research explore older adults' risks and develop interventions related to the psychological impact of COVID-19.

THE MEDIATING ROLE OF RUMINATION AND PER-SONAL GROWTH ON PANDEMIC DEPRESSION: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Teresa Paniagua, 1 Virginia Fernández-Fernández, 2 and MªÁngeles Molina Martínez, 3 1. Universidad Europea de MAdrid,Majadahonda,Madrid,Spain,2. Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia,Madrid,Madrid,Spain,3. Universidad Francisco de Vitoria,Madrid,Madrid,Spain Introduction: The experience of recent months, caused by COVID-19 pandemic including strict home confinement, has required older people to implement coping strategies to combat the harmful effects of depression and associated loneliness. Method: longitudinal study, including functionally and cognitively independent people over 65, three temporal evaluation measures: WAVE1 (6 months pre-COVID-19, N=305; M=73.63; 58.9% women), WAVE2 (during home confinement; N=151; M=73.14; 59.6% women) and WAVE3 (8 months post-WAVE2; N = 85; M=72.62; 64.70% women). Bivariate correlations and a multiple hierarchical regression model are performed to explain the variance of depression in WAVE3 from rumination and growth on general life events (in WAVE1) and rumination and personal growth associated with COVID-19, both in WAVE2 and WAVE3. Results: statistically significant correlations are obtained between all the variables. The regression model explains 65.7% of the variance of depression (all steps significant). Both rumination (B=0.45;p=0.00) and growth (B=-0.40;p=0.00) on general life events (WAVE1) explain 54.5% of the depression in WAVE3. Rumination on COVID (B=.310;p≤0.01) in WAVE2 and the growth over COVID (B=-0.24;p≤0.01) in WAVE3, allow a significant explanation of 6.8 and 4.4% of the proposed model, respectively. Conclusions: it seems clear the impact that emotional regulation strategies have on life events over time. In addition, rumination is an emotional process of maladaptive coping also in the face of the pandemic. However, the growth capacity of the person is a useful tool to combat the damaging effects of negative life events. In the elderly, it seems necessary to influence and bet on positive coping strategies.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COVID-19 ANXIETY AND WELL-BEING OUTCOMES IN OLDER VETERANS Sara Kintzle, and Carl Castro, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
Understanding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of vulnerable populations is essential in planning for care post pandemic and preparing for future pandemics. One such population often overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic is older veterans, whose military service often results in physical and psychological effects that creates vulnerability to the impacts of COVID-19 beyond their age risks. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and well-being in older veterans. Survey data was collected from the end of June 2020 through August 2020 and examined the well-being of veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research looked at the 122 veterans in the sample who Innovation in Aging, 2021, Vol. 5, No. S1