The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in social isolation globally, creating heightened levels of stress and anxiety. This study investigates the link between social isolation and mental well-being in later life, and how it varies across countries. We draw on a subset of older adults from Global Behaviors and Perceptions in the COVID-19 pandemic, a unique global online survey of 13,660 participants from 62 countries. We use mixed-effects models to analyze the data. Social isolation (distancing) significantly predicts poor mental health operationalized as coronavirus-induced distress (p < 0.01). At the aggregate level, average distress varies positively across countries with higher numbers of coronavirus-related deaths (p < 0.10) and more fragile state capacity (p < 0.05), while varying negatively across those with more stringent anti-coronavirus policies (p < 0.05). Finally, we report several cross-level interactions between social isolation and the total number of deaths (p = 0.025), policy stringency (p =0.065), state fragility (p = 0.061), and globalization index (p = 0.071). Our study shows that a proper understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the mental well-being of older adults should consider the moderating role of national context.

This study examines the extent to which online media activities are associated with psychological well-being of adolescents. Data come from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), a government-funded multiyear research project. Based on Wave 4 (2007) and Wave 5 (2008) of KYPS, the most recent data available, hierarchical linear models are estimated to probe the psychological effects of time spent online. While holding constant a host of time-lagged control variables at individual (student) and contextual (school) levels, the analysis shows that online social networking is adversely associated with the psychological status of Korean students, measured in terms of self-reported mental problems and suicidal thought. The bulk of previous research on the pros and cons of online social media use is based on cross-sectional data, thereby precluding causal inference. Using longitudinal data, the current research offers more conclusive evidence on the direction of causation.

Background: The present study examines the impact of coronavirus-related restrictions on mental health among American adults, and how this relationship varies as a function of time and two measures of vulnerability (preexisting physical symptoms and job insecurity). Methods: We draw on data from two waves of Corona Impact Survey, which were fielded in late April and early of May 2020. Multilevel models were used to analyze the hierarchically nested data. Results: Experiencing coronavirus disease-2019 restrictions significantly raise mental distress. This association is stronger for individuals with preexisting health conditions and those who worry about job prospects. These findings hold with the inclusion of region-wave covariates (number of deaths, wave dummy and aggregate measure of restrictions). Finally, there is a cross-level interaction: the restriction-distress connection is more pronounced in the second wave of data. Conclusions: Our research indicates that people who are more physically and/or financially vulnerable suffer more from the imposed restrictions, i.e. ‘social isolation’. The mental health impact of coronavirus pandemic is not constant but conditional on the level of vulnerability.