Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.
Gema Pérez-Rojo1, Javier López1, Cristina Noriega1, José Ángel Martínez-Huertas2,3, Cristina Velasco1,Isabel Carretero1, Patricia López-Frutos1, Leyre Galarraga1, and Karl Pillemer4
1 Universidad San Pablo-CEU,
2 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid,
3 UNINPSI Unidad Clínica de Psicología, and
4 Cornell University
Background: Although several biopsychosocial variables could play an important role as risk and protective factors of mental health, COVID-19 outbreak studies among older people have seldom focused on protective factors. The purpose of this study was to analyze how older adults’ personal strengths predict their well-being and emotional distress. Method: 783 Spanish people aged 60 and over completed a survey that included sociodemographic characteristics, perceived health, direct or indirect infection by COVID-19, resilience, gratitude, experiential avoidance, family functioning, emotional distress and well-being. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was performed. SEM invariance was also used to analyze whether there were differences between older people affected by COVID-19 and those not affected. Results: The best model supports the mediation effect of resilience, gratitude and experiential avoidance on older people’s well-being and emotional distress. Whether participants or relatives had been infected by the virus or not did not affect the results. Conclusions: Variables used as criteria in older adults are related to well-being and emotional distress, but only indirectly and mediated by resilience, gratitude and experiential avoidance. This confirms the importance of considering psychological strengths in older people’s well-being. Interventions focused on these personal resources should be considered.
Fortalezas Personales en Personas Mayores Durante la Primera Ola de la Pandemia por COVID-19. Antecedentes: las variables biopsicosociales juegan un papel importante como factores de riesgo o protectores de la salud mental, pero los estudios sobre el impacto del COVID-19 en las personas mayores raramente se han centrado en factores protectores. El objetivo del estudio es analizar cómo fortalezas personales de las personas mayores predicen su bienestar psicológico y malestar emocional. Método: 783 personas españolas mayores de 60 años completaron el protocolo de evaluación que incluía características sociodemográficas, salud percibida, afectación directa o indirecta por COVID, resiliencia, gratitud, evitación experiencial, funcionamiento familiar, malestar emocional y bienestar psicológico. Se utilizó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales y su invarianza para analizar si existían diferencias entre personas afectadas o no por COVID-19. Resultados: se ha encontrado un modelo que apoya el efecto mediador de la resiliencia, la gratitud y la evitación experiencial sobre el bienestar psicológico y el malestar emocional. Los resultados se han mantenido independientemente de la afectación por COVID. Conclusiones: las variables utilizadas como criterio en personas mayores están relacionadas con el bienestar psicológico y el malestar emocional, pero indirectamente y mediadas por fortalezas personales. Esto confirma la importancia de considerar las fortalezas en el bienestar de las personas mayores. Las intervenciones centradas en recursos personales deben ser consideradas.
SPANISH
ENGLISH
https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2020.453