Aging and subjective cognitive difficulties during COVID-19: stress and positive experiences
This research investigates how stress and positive experiences impact the cognitive abilities of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study seeks to determine if these experiences, both stressful and positive, are linked to subjective cognitive difficulties (SCDs), such as trouble concentrating or forgetfulness.
College of Health researcher(s)
Abstract
Objective(s)
Stressful and positive experiences may inform subjective perceptions of cognition; however, much of the literature focuses on stressful experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine individual differences related to both minor (weekly) and larger (life) stressful and positive experiences, and subjective cognitive functioning during a worldwide, chronic stressor. The current studies examined these associations in two samples of older adults which used two different time scales – weeks and months. We also examined how age moderated associations.
Methods
In Study 1, 245 older adults (Mage = 71.1) completed measures on stress, positive experiences, and subjective cognitive difficulties (SCDs) across eight weeks during the pandemic. In Study 2, 116 older adults (Mage = 76.16) were assessed every six months for up to 2½ years during the pandemic.
Results
In both studies, higher typical stress (weekly stress intensity and life events) was related to more subjective cognitive difficulties. In Study 1 but not Study 2, older age was related to lower levels of subjective cognitive difficulties, especially during weeks with high stress and positive experiences (within-persons).
Conclusion
The current study provides information as to whose subjective cognition may be most impacted by stress and positive experiences within a major non-normative event.
FAQ on Aging, Cognition, Stress, and Positive Experiences During COVID-19
What are Subjective Cognitive Difficulties (SCDs), and why are they important to study?
SCDs refer to self-reported difficulties with cognitive functions such as concentration, memory, reasoning, and attention. They are important because they can be early indicators of potential cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and they can be detected even before objective cognitive tests show any decline. Additionally, SCDs can impact an individual's overall physical and psychological well-being.
How did stress and positive experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic affect older adults' subjective cognitive difficulties?
The research found that higher levels of stress, both in the short-term (weekly) and long-term (life events), were associated with increased subjective cognitive difficulties in older adults. Conversely, higher intensity positive experiences on a weekly timescale were associated with fewer subjective cognitive difficulties. However, positive life events measured over a longer period (six months) did not show a significant association with reduced SCDs.
Did the study differentiate between types of stress, and how did these different timescales influence SCDs?
Yes, the study differentiated between shorter-term stressors (daily or weekly stress intensity) and longer-term stressors (stressful life events). The study found that both short-term and long-term stressors were related to SCDs, but the way they influence cognition may differ. Life stress might represent a more chronic and prolonged experience which has implications for biological systems affecting cognition. The pile-up of shorter-term stressors may be a mechanism through which these stressors inform more stable health outcomes.
How did age play a role in the relationship between stress, positive experiences, and subjective cognitive difficulties?
Age moderated the relationship between stress, positive experiences, and SCDs, but mostly in the short-term (weekly) study. Specifically, the buffering effect of positive experiences was more pronounced for old-old adults (85 years old) compared to young-old adults (65 years old). Also, for both young- and old-old adults, SCDs were higher during weeks in which their stressor intensity was higher-than-average. No age-moderated relationships were found in the study that was measured in six month intervals.
Were positive experiences always beneficial for older adults' cognition during the pandemic?
Not necessarily. While more intense weekly positive experiences were associated with fewer SCDs, positive life events measured over six-month intervals did not significantly impact SCDs. The researchers theorize this could be because positive life events during the pandemic might have been overshadowed by the overarching stress of the pandemic, or the stress associated with the absence of positive life events during the pandemic. Also, positive events' affective buffering effects may have ended faster than negative events' effects.
What is the Strength and Vulnerability Integration (SAVI) model, and how does it relate to this study's findings?
The SAVI model proposes that as people age, they prioritize experiences that promote positive well-being and avoid negative ones to compensate for age-related vulnerabilities. The study's finding that age differences in the stress-SCD relationship were only found in the shorter timescale (Study 1) provides some support for the SAVI model. The old-old adults may be better able to regulate emotions and cope with stressful situations in the short-term.
What were the limitations of the studies conducted?
The study mentions several limitations. One limitation is the inability to test how these adaptive processes unfold over longer and shorter time in the same sample. Other limitations include the relatively homogeneous samples in terms of education and race/ethnicity, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The retrospective reports might also have been influenced by subjective perceptions of time frames. Finally, the study did not measure affect in Study 1 so it is hard to see whether increased positive affect and decreased negative affect truly impacted SCDs.
What are the implications of these findings and what future research is recommended?
These findings highlight the importance of addressing both stress and promoting positive experiences to support cognitive health in older adults, especially during chronic stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should examine these associations within the same sample, measuring exposure to stress and positive experiences across varying timescales. It would also be helpful to determine whether exposure, repeated infection, and persistent symptoms of COVID-19 may modify the findings of the current studies. Future work should examine associations in the context of cognitive performance to more comprehensively understand associations across types of cognition. Finally, future research should examine these processes in more diverse samples.