Older People More Resilient During the Pandemic, Study Shows

A multi-site study among older adults with pre-existing depression has shown resilience in the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The team is composed of members from five institutes in North America—four from the U.S. and one from Canada. Older people with major depressive disorders from Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis were found to have no increase in depression and anxiety in the middle of the pandemic. The results of their study are available in the latest edition of the peer-reviewed journal The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Elderly Sheltering In Place Serenaded By Mariachi Band In California

(Photo: Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 25: Singer Karina Lopez and the band Mariachi Mexicapan serenade Fernando Ayala (R), seated outside his home to lift the spirits of older residents who are sheltering at home to reduce their risk of exposure to the coronavirus on June 25, 2020, in Long Beach, California.

Resiliency Defying Expectations

"We thought they would be more vulnerable to the stress of COVID because they are, by CDC definition, the most vulnerable population," said Dr. Helen Lavretsky from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Lavretsky serves as a professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA's Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

Dr. Lavretsky added that through the study, they learned that older people who have depression had the capability for resilience. She said that they were told by participants that "coping with chronic depression taught them to be resilient."

The study was made possible by 73 elderly living in communities and diagnosed with pre-existing major depressive disorders (MDD) across the four sites. For the first two months of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers interviewed the participants to evaluate aspects of their life, including their access to care and mental health. The quality of their life and coping with social isolation and the pandemic were also noted.

Aside from their current living conditions at the time, researchers also assessed the participants' depression, anxiety, and suicidality tendencies using validated scales, PHQ-9 and PROMIS, comparing the recently-acquired scores with those taken before the pandemic.

Mental Health of Older People At Risk With Continuing Isolation

The test scores revealed that there were no changes in their depression, anxiety, or suicidality scores after the pandemic has set in. The researchers also found that the participants in the study were more concerned about contracting the contagious COVID-19 than the risks of being socially isolated.

Participants also noted that despite the social distancing and stay-at-home orders, they did not actually feel isolated. With the help of technology, they were able to maintain virtual contact with their friends and family. Although coping with the pandemic, participants noted that their quality of life was lower, expressing worries about their mental health conditions with the ongoing distancing. Lastly, the study notes that the participants were "outraged" by the perceived inadequate response by the government to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To stay mentally healthy in the middle of the pandemic, participants have noted the various coping strategies used by the participants. Some of them stuck to regular schedules, involving themselves in recreational and routine activities to distract themselves from negative emotions.

While older adults diagnosed with pre-existing MDD have exhibited resilience in the first two months of the coronavirus pandemic, there could be lingering concerns about their mental health should the social distancing protocols continue.

With this input, researchers have stressed out the need for policies and intervention efforts to provide older citizens with access to both medical care and social interaction with their friends and family. These are necessities to help these people maintain good mental health even in the middle of the ongoing pandemic.