ABSTRACT

Older adults have been identified as a high-risk population for COVID-19 by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Though well-intentioned, this nonspecific designation highlights stereotypes of older adults as frail and in need of protection, exacerbating negative age-based stereotypes that can have adverse effects on older adults’ well-being. Healthcare stereotype threat (HCST) is concern about being judged by providers and receiving biased medical treatment based on stereotypes about one’s identity – in this case age. Given the attention to older adults’ physical vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults may be especially worried about age-based judgments from medical providers and sensitive to ageist attitudes about COVID-19. Online data collection (April 13 to May 15, 2020) with adults aged 50 and older (N = 2325, M = 63.11, SD = 7.53) examined age-based HCST. Respondents who worried that healthcare providers judged them based on age (n = 584) also reported more negative COVID-19 reactions, including perceived indifference toward older adults, young adults’ lack of concern about health, and unfavorable media coverage of older adults. The results highlight the intersection of two pandemics: COVID-19 and ageism. We close with consideration of the clinical implications of the results.

摘要

美国疾病控制与预防中心 (CDC) 已将老年人确定为 COVID-19 的高危人群。虽然出于善意，但这种非特定指定突出了老年人的刻板印象，认为他们虚弱且需要保护，加剧了可能对老年人福祉产生不利影响的基于年龄的负面刻板印象。医疗保健刻板印象威胁 (HCST) 是担心被提供者判断并根据对个人身份的刻板印象（在这种情况下为年龄）而接受有偏见的医疗。鉴于在 COVID-19 大流行期间对老年人身体脆弱性的关注，老年人可能特别担心医疗服务提供者基于年龄的判断，并对 COVID-19 的年龄歧视态度敏感。在线数据收集（4月13日至5月15日，N  = 2325，M  = 63.11，SD  = 7.53）检查了基于年龄的 HCST。担心医疗保健提供者根据年龄判断他们的受访者 ( n  = 584) 还报告了更多负面的 COVID-19 反应，包括对老年人漠不关心、年轻人对健康缺乏关注以及对老年人不利的媒体报道。结果突出了两种流行病的交集：COVID-19 和年龄歧视。我们结束时考虑了结果的临床意义。