The effects of SES, social support, and resilience on older adults’ well-being during COVID-19: Evidence from Singapore

Author

Mindy Eiko TADAI, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Paulin Tay STRAUGHAN, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Grace CHEONG, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Rachel Wen Yi NGU, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Yan Er TAN, Singapore Management UniversityFollow

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

3-2023

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered visible many socioeconomic inequalities and the lengthy period of dis- ruption to everyday life had disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable groups in Singapore and across the world. Utilizing data from the Singapore Life Panel ® (SLP) collected in September 2021, this study examined a sample of 6667 older adults to assess the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on well-being, and the mechanisms through which social support and resilience may mediate its influence. Overall, our results suggest significant direct and indirect effects of SES on well-being and provide evidence for the pivotal role that social support plays in building resilience and well-being. Affluent socioeconomic backgrounds do not intrinsically build resilience; instead, it is through the access to social resources, which SES affords and facilitates, that resilience is developed, and well-being is safeguarded. We argue that Singapore’s policy response to COVID-19 has yet to fully leverage on social resources and develop a social infrastructure that can buffer the negative impacts of prolonged crises on the most vulnerable groups.

Keywords

SES, Well-being, Social support, COVID-19, Singapore

Discipline

Asian Studies | Health Communication | Social Psychology and Interaction

Research Areas

Sociology

Publication

Urban Governance

Volume

3

Issue

1

First Page

14

Last Page

21

ISSN

2664-3286

Identifier

10.1016/j.ugj.2023.02.002

Publisher

Elsevier

Citation

TADAI, Mindy Eiko, STRAUGHAN, Paulin Tay, CHEONG, Grace, NGU, Rachel Wen Yi, & TAN, Yan Er.(2023). The effects of SES, social support, and resilience on older adults’ well-being during COVID-19: Evidence from Singapore. Urban Governance, 3(1), 14-21.

Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3752

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ugj.2023.02.002