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

The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered visible many socioeconomic inequalities and the lengthy period of disruption 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.