Canada: According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, more than 20,000 older adults experienced their first episode of depression during the epidemic. The study revealed that the statistics were significantly worse for people who had previously struggled with depression.

As per the findings of the study, 45% of the participants reported having been diagnosed with depression by the fall of 2020. According to the studys author, the increased rate of first-onset depression in 2020 emphasized the significant mental health toll that the pandemic caused in a previously mentally healthy group of older adults. He went on to say that during the pandemic, several factors such as low income and savings, loneliness, chronic pain, difficulty accessing healthcare, a history of traumatic childhood experiences, and family conflict were linked to depression in older adults.

The researchers revealed that people who experienced various dimensions of loneliness, such as feeling left out, feeling isolated, and lacking companionship, had approximately a 4–5 times higher risk of both incident and recurrent depression.

Furthermore, elderly people with chronic pain, particularly those who had difficulty accessing their usual healthcare, medication, or treatments, and people with a history of adversity as a child were more likely to be depressed in the autumn of 2020. The study also revealed that older people who experienced family conflict during the pandemic were three times more likely to have depression. (Source: https://theprint.in/health/research-1-in-8-adult-experienced-depression-for-first-time-during-pandemic/1234226/ )