Toronto, Nov 26, : A new study found that the Covid-19 epidemic had a significant impact upon the mental health of older residents in the area. The researchers used data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to determine that 43% of people over 50 experienced depressive symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“These findings suggest that the negative mental health effects of the pandemic persist, and may worsen over the time.It underscores the need to implement tailored interventions to address pandemic stressors as well as their impact on the mental wellbeing of older adults,” said Parminder Raina, McMaster University researcher.
The study was published in Nature Aging.It used data from telephone and web surveys to determine how health-related factors and socio determinants like income and participation influenced the prevalence of depression symptoms in the initial lockdown that began in March 2020 and continued after the first wave of Covid-19 in Canada.
The likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms that became more severe over time was higher when there were responsibilities such as caregiving, separation from family, conflict with family, and loneliness.
The pandemic was more common in women than in men.A greater number of women also reported increased caregiving, separation from their families, and barriers to caregiving.
The odds of experiencing depression during the pandemic were twice as high for older adults than they were before the outbreak.
However, those with lower incomes and poorer health experienced more of an impact due to pre-existing conditions or reported health issues during the pandemic.
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