Sources of meaning in life among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.
Chanhee Kim, Min Hye Lee, Kyung Im Kang
PMID 37608606WHAT IT FOUND
South Korean older adults found meaning in learning, helping family, serving others, and staying healthy.
Pandemic restrictions cut these sources, causing sadness; some adapted with video calls and new online skills, while others felt life stalled and drank more.
Key findings
01Participants described meaning in life as coming from continued learning and growth, devotion to family, serving others, and efforts to maintain health.
02Pandemic social distancing curtailed sources of meaning and produced psychological distress and financial hardship.
03Responses to the pandemic varied: some sought new rewarding activities and skills, while others used alcohol to cope with boredom.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The interviews were with older adults from one city in South Korea, so the themes may not apply to other places or cultures. No participants were aged 80 years or older, so the findings may not apply to the oldest old. The study did not explain why some older adults coped well and others did not during the pandemic. The sample was limited to 18 participants from one city, so it describes these participants' experiences rather than all older adults.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, a government grant. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that learning, volunteering, or health programs improve meaning in life. The study was qualitative, included 18 older adults from one city, and reported no outcomes or effects.