Older Adults’ Future Perspectives and Attitudes Amid Uncertainty: Shifts Across 2 Years of COVID-19

Older adults have a wealth of life experiences that may give them unique perspectives about the future during times of societal crises. This study explores future orientations of older adults in the upper Midwest region of the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five times from March 2020 to April 2022, participants (N = 76) aged 70–97 were asked about when their life would return to normal. Bottom–up, qualitative, thematic coding indicated three themes of future perspectives: hardy positivity, realistic ambivalence, and weary pessimism. Individuals who endorsed a hardy positivity toward the future viewed the future with hope, faith, and optimism. Ambivalent individuals utilized past experiences to frame expectations for the future which were often emotionally neutral and sought balance between the most hopeful and disparaging of future events. Weary pessimistic individuals saw the pandemic as perpetual or perceived the future with general malaise. These participants conveyed anxiety or negativity about the future. These findings suggest nuances in older adults’ future orientations and provide implications for psychological well-being and emotional regulation amidst stressful, historical events.