Older adults faced mental health issues during the pandemic

Older adults experienced greater depression and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study by Indiana University researchers, and relationship strength moderated the relationship between loneliness and depression.

The study, published in The Journal of Gerontology: Series B, was authored by Anne Krendl, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Brea Perry, professor in the Department to Sociology at IU Bloomington.

Researchers compared personal social networks, subjective loneliness and depression of 93 older adults in the Bloomington community, six to nine months prior to the pandemic and from late April to late May when most people were under stay-at-home orders.Two-thirds (68 percent) of older adults reported spending less time than before with people they loved, according to the study, and 79 percent felt like their social life decreased or was negatively affected by COVID-19.

Research has shown that loneliness is associated with a number of negative outcomes for older adults, including higher rates of depression and higher mortality, while closeness to individuals in their networks can result in greater emotional well-being.