Research in Caucasian populations has begun to examine the broad associations between physical and mental health in dementia caregivers. However, the examination of this relationship in Latin America is largely absent from the literature despite the

Neighborhoods have a significant impact on depressive symptoms in older adults. In response to the increasing depression of older adults in Korea, this study aims to identify the relationship between perceived and objective neighborhood characteristics in depressive symptoms and find differences between rural and urban areas. We used a National survey collected in 2020 of 10,097 Korean older adults aged 65 and older. We also utilized Korean administration data for identifying the objective neighborhood characteristics. Multilevel modeling results indicated that depressive symptoms decreased when older adults perceived their housing condition (b = −0.04, p < 0.001), their interaction with neighbors (b = −0.02, p < 0.001), and overall neighborhood environment (b = −0.02, p < 0.001) positively. Among the objective neighborhood characteristics, only nursing homes (b = 0.09, p < 0.05) were related to depressive symptoms of older adults living in urban areas. For older adults living in rural areas, the number of social workers (b = −0.03, p < 0.001), the number of senior centers (b = −0.45, p < 0.001), and nursing home (b = −3.30, p < 0.001) in the neighborhood were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. This study found that rural and urban areas have different neighborhood characteristics related to older adults’ depressive symptoms in South Korea. This study encourages policymakers to consider neighborhood characteristics to improve the mental health of older adults.

Quality of life (QOL) for older adults in Puerto Rico was significantly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet there has been little attention to this topic. This study examines the association between COVID-19-related attitudes and QOL and the mediating role of the psychological sense of community (PSOC) in this context. Data are from a COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey with a nonprobability sample of 213 Puerto Rican adults aged 60+ in 2021. We conducted a mediated linear regression model using Hayes’s PROCESS macro. Results showed that both COVID-19 attitudes and PSOC positively related to QOL. Additionally, COVID-19 attitudes also had a positive effect on PSOC and an indirect, positive effect on QOL through PSOC. These findings suggest that enhancing older adults’ positive attitudes and strengthening community connections should be central to public health strategies, especially in community-oriented cultures like Puerto Rico.

Few studies have addressed the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in low resource settings. This study examines the association of COVID-19-related stressors with psychological distress in older adults in Puerto Rico. Data are from a 2021 Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey about COVID-19 with adults aged 60 + in Puerto Rico (n = 213). We used the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) to assess distress. Stressors included COVID-19 diagnosis, hospitalization, or death of someone close, treatment delays, and loneliness. We used negative binomial regression with a log linear link function to model the effects of demographics and pandemic-related social and health stressors on distress. Almost one-third (31%) of participants reported clinically significant distress; 44.3% reported a loved one diagnosed with COVID-19, 32.4% had lost someone close, 25.8% reported treatment delays, and 39.4% experienced loneliness. A COVID-19 diagnosis of someone close without hospitalization [Adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (AIRR) = 1.55; 95% CI 1.08, 2.22] and loneliness [AIRR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.09, 1.32] were associated with greater SRQ-20 scores. We consider the nexus of cultural and contextual factors (e.g., outmigration, under-resourced healthcare system, fatalism etc.) that are likely to influence short- and longer-term effects of COVID-19-related distress among older adults in Puerto Rico. Interdisciplinary collaborations are needed to enhance Covid-19-related support and to implement culturally appropriate and contextually feasible evidence-based interventions that will reduce high rates of mental health challenges and prevent their long-term effects.