Gender and Race Differences in Mental Health and Well-Being Among Older Americans During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objectives of this study were to investigate(1) gender and race differences in mental health and psychological wellbeing among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and(2) whether there were significant interaction effects between gender and race. This study used the National Health and Aging Trends Study(NHATS) and COVID-19 public use data files. It focused on mental health and psychological well-being, including loneliness, no time to yourself, poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). The sample consisted of 2465 older adults, and multivariate logistic and linear regression models were adopted for the analysis. The results show that approximately two out of five older people(43%) experienced poor sleep, followed by loneliness(35%), anxiety(30%), depression(23%), and no time to themselves(11%). The average PTSD score was 11. Mental health and psychological well-being varied by gender and race. There were significant interaction effects on anxiety and depression between females and Black older adults. Black females reported lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms than Black males, although the differences were not statistically significant. Black older adults were more likely to experience PTSD but less likely to feel lonely and have poorer sleep than their White counterparts. Female older adults reported poorer mental health and psychological well-being than males, except for Black females. Black females had the lowest levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and highest quality of sleep among all females of different ethnic and racial origins.