Journal
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Volume 76, Issue 3, Pages E88-E92Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa117
Keywords
COVID-19; Racial and ethnic minorities; Social networks
Funding
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) [P20 GM130461]
- Rural Drug Addiction Research Center at the University of NebraskaLincoln
- Nebraska Tobacco Settlement Biomedical Research Development Funds
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This commentary discusses the disruption of social networks for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on racial/ethnic disparities. The authors highlight the importance of strong social networks for physical and mental health outcomes, and offer insights for examining the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized groups.
Objectives: The disruption and contraction of older adults' social networks are among the less discussed consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective was to provide an evidence-based commentary on racial/ethnic disparities in social network resources and draw attention to the ways in which disasters differentially affect social networks, with meaningful insight for the ongoing pandemic. Methods: We draw upon prior research on social networks and past natural disasters to identify major areas of network inequality. Attention is given to how pre-pandemic racial/ethnic network disparities are exacerbated during the current crisis, with implications for physical and mental health outcomes. Results: Evidence from the literature shows a robust association between strong social networks and physical and mental health outcomes. During times of crisis, access to social networks for older adults is disrupted, particularly for marginalized groups. We document pre-pandemic disparities in social networks resources and offer insight for examining the impact of COVID-19 on disrupting social networks among older adults. Discussion: Importantly, racial/ethnic disparities in social networks both prior to and as a result of the pandemic intensify existing inequalities and demonstrate the necessity of better understanding social network inequalities for marginalized older adults, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis.
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