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TORONTO, Nov. 24 (PTI) About one in eight older adults are experiencing depression for the first time during the pandemic, according to a study conducted in Canada.
The numbers were even worse for those who had experienced depression in the past, the study said. In the fall of 2020, nearly half (45%) of this group of 20,000 older adults reported experiencing depression.
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Researchers at the University of Toronto analyzed responses from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which collected data on participants for an average of seven years, the study said.
“The high incidence of first-episode depression in 2020 underscores the enormous mental health toll the epidemic is taking on a previously mentally healthy older population,” said lead author Andie MacNeil of the University of Toronto.
While the surge in the prevalence of depression among older adults during the pandemic is well known, few studies have previously determined the percentage of people experiencing depression for the first time or the percentage of people with a history of depression relapse, published in Environmental Research International According to the study in the Journal of Public Health.
“The disruptions of the pandemic have upended many aspects of everyday life, and hit those with a history of depression especially hard,” said co-author Sapriya Birk.
“Health professionals need to be vigilant when screening patients for early-life mental health problems,” Birk said.
Researchers identified several factors associated with depression in older adults during the pandemic, including insufficient income and savings, loneliness, chronic pain, difficulty accessing health care, adverse childhood experiences and family conflict, the study said.
Older adults who believed their income was not enough to meet basic needs before the pandemic and those who had less savings were more likely to suffer from depression during the pandemic, the study said.
“These findings highlight the disproportionate mental health burden borne by individuals with low socioeconomic status during the pandemic.
“Many of these socioeconomic risk factors could be exacerbated by the economic instability of the pandemic, especially for individuals with fewer resources,” said co-author Margaret de Groh.
According to the study, people who experienced various levels of loneliness, such as feeling rejected, isolated, and lacking companionship, had an approximately four to five times higher risk of developing depression and recurrent depression.
“It’s no surprise that the lockdown has been particularly difficult for older people who have been isolated during the pandemic.
“Social relationships and social support are critical to well-being and mental health. For those who are isolated, better support and outreach services are needed,” said co-author Ying Jiang.
In the fall of 2020, older adults with chronic pain and those who had difficulty accessing daily healthcare, medications or treatments were more likely to experience depression, the study said.
“This finding underscores the importance of streamlining service delivery to ensure less disruption of healthcare services in the event of a future pandemic,” said co-author Professor Paul J. Villeneuve.
Additionally, people with a history of childhood adversity were more likely to experience depression in the fall of 2020, according to the study. Older adults who have experienced family conflict during the pandemic have more than three times the risk of developing depression compared to their peers who have not experienced family conflict.
“Family conflict is a major stressor that affects mental health even at the best of times.
Senior author Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson of the University of Toronto said: “Many family relationships are under considerable stress due to the imposed lockdown and the stress of the pandemic. The ensuing conflict is a major risk for depression.”
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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