1. Associations of Social Support With Physical and Mental Health Symptom Burden After COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Older Adults.
- Author
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Lee, Seohyuk, McAvay, Gail J, Geda, Mary, Chattopadhyay, Sumon, Acampora, Denise, Araujo, Katy, Charpentier, Peter, Gill, Thomas M, Hajduk, Alexandra M, Cohen, Andrew B, and Ferrante, Lauren E
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SYMPTOM burden ,MENTAL illness ,SOCIAL support ,OLDER people ,CORONAVIRUS diseases ,COVID-19 - Abstract
Background Despite significant support system disruptions during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the relationship between social support and symptom burden among older adults following COVID-19 hospitalization. Methods From a prospective cohort of 341 community-living persons aged ≥60 years hospitalized with COVID-19 between June 2020 and June 2021 who underwent follow-up at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge, we identified 311 participants with ≥1 follow-up assessment. Social support prehospitalization was ascertained using a 5-item version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (range, 5–25), with low social support defined as a score ≤15. At hospitalization and each follow-up assessment, 14 physical symptoms were assessed using a modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment System inclusive of COVID-19-relevant symptoms. Mental health symptoms were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Longitudinal associations between social support and physical and mental health symptoms, respectively, were evaluated through multivariable regression. Results Participants' mean age was 71.3 years (standard deviation, 8.5), 52.4% were female, and 34.2% were of Black race or Hispanic ethnicity. 11.8% reported low social support. Over the 6-month follow-up period, low social support was independently associated with higher burden of physical symptoms (adjusted rate ratio [aRR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.52), but not mental health symptoms (aRR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.85–1.53). Conclusions Low social support is associated with greater physical, but not mental health, symptom burden among older survivors of COVID-19 hospitalization. Our findings suggest a potential need for social support screening and interventions to improve post-COVID-19 symptom management in this vulnerable group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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