Aging

A man sits on a bench with a mask on.

Loneliness Doubled Among Older Adults in Early Months of COVID-19, Poll Shows

New research from John Piette

In June of this year, 56% of people over age 50 said they sometimes or often felt isolated from others—more than double the 27% who felt that way in a similar poll in 2018. Nearly half of those polled in June of this year also said they felt more isolated than they had just before the pandemic arrived in the United States and a third said they felt they had less companionship than before.

Older couple sitting on a bench outdoors.

Study Seeks to Find the Relationship Between COVID-19, Social Isolation, and Mental Health in Older Adults

Q&A with Lindsay Kobayashi

Researchers from the University of Michigan are working on a study to determine the mental health impacts and well-being among older adults during the coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 Coping Study, an online survey of US adults ages 55 and older, highlights the complexities and layers in which the virus impacts our society—in ways that are more than just contracting the disease.

Elderly man holding a cordless telephone

Virtual Senior Center Helps Older Adults in Detroit Connect While Social Distancing

Low-income older adults and those with serious health problems are particularly vulnerable to negative health and social impacts caused by social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Researchers from the University of Michigan and partner, Methodist Children’s Home Society, are piloting a virtual senior center that offers enrichment and educational programs via phone to help combat the isolation.

Hotspot map of the world with Coronavirus cases.

Digesting the Data: Tips for Understanding and Acting on the Coronavirus Numbers

Q&A with Neil K. Mehta

Humans produce a lot of data, and it seems the current epidemic crisis has accelerated our production of and engagement with numbers, graphs, and maps. But we can learn a lot from all the statistics, especially if we know how to digest and interpret it all. Demography expert Neil Mehta shares his thoughts on how to follow and understand the coronavirus outbreak in a meaningful way.