The Longitudinal Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Cognition and Hearing in Younger and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: In March 2020, a unique situation unfolded wherein the U.K. government announced social restriction measures to reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Various measures remained in place until April 2021, with older adults, who were considered clinically vulnerable, being placed under stricter restrictions. This study aimed to determine the effect of psychosocial factors, including loneliness, depression, and engagement in various recreational lifestyle activities, on hearing and cognitive function in younger and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: One hundred twelve older adults aged 60–82 ( M = 70.08, SD = 5.89) years and 121 younger adults aged 18–29 ( M = 20.52, SD = 2.63) years participated online between June 2020 and February 2022. Participants completed questionnaires assessing loneliness, depression, auditory and lifestyle engagement, and hearing ability, as well as behavioral tasks assessing auditory function and global cognition. All measures were completed 12 times at 4-week intervals. Results: Linear mixed-effects analyses found that, of the variables examined, increased loneliness was significantly associated with poorer auditory function. There were no main effects of time during the pandemic on auditory or cognitive outcomes. However, the interaction between time and age group significantly affected global cognition; in younger adults, global cognition decreased over time, whereas older adults displayed an unexpected positive change. Conclusions: These data show that there are associations between loneliness and auditory function but provide a lack of support for the impact of time experiencing auditory deprivation, or other psychosocial factors, on hearing and cognitive function. Such observations may be underpinned by motivational differences, learning effects, or sample biases. Future research may wish to investigate these factors further, to determine how psychological factors such as loneliness affect hearing and cognitive processes across diverse participant groups.