The COVID-19 pandemic is leaving a devastating impact on people’s lives. Millions of people lost their loved ones, their livelihoods, and for many, all that was left was poor mental health. Several studies have shown that the pandemic has worsened mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Now according to new research from McMaster University, it has been found that older people suffer from depressive symptoms, with people from lower socio-economic strata being the most affected.
The research, which is published in the journal Nature Aging, showed alarming results, stating that nearly 43% of older adults aged 50 or over had “moderate or clinically high levels of depression” during the start of the epidemic. displayed, and the trend only got worse over time.
This study, which is carried out as part of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, was conducted by a team of Parminder Ren – the principal investigator, the other principal investigators being Christina Wolfson, Lauren Griffith, Susan Kirkland and others. .
The researchers also noted that many elderly adults were devoid of medical facilities because existing healthcare was being used for COVID-19 patients. These factors, among other issues, added to their stress.
It was also found that older people who faced violence of any kind were more likely to have symptoms of depression. Many other factors such as unemployment, job loss, conflict within the family or a helpless situation in which adults are not able to escape the abusive family members contribute to their mental and emotional stress.
The ban on social gatherings has created distance from the family members and in turn has increased the feeling of loneliness among the elders. This has also resulted in a large number of mood disorders and an increase in pre-existing mental illness causing enormous distress. Incidences of fatigue and sleep disturbances were reported among caregivers as their responsibilities and workload increased during the pandemic period.
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