A recent article in JAMA discusses why older adults appear to be coping better with loneliness and social isolation than younger adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandemics are stressful, and the
loneliness that comes with isolation takes a toll on mental health.
Surveys
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted between
June 24 and June 30, 2020, found that 40.9% of respondents
experienced at least one mental or behavioral health condition. These ranged
from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma to starting or increasing
substance use.
While
all humans need social contact, some cope better with less contact
than others.
Social
deprivation, the reduction or prevention of levels of social interaction
considered normal depending on culture, is particularly harmful for
adolescents.
A 2020
review of studies investigating social isolation and loneliness, published
between January 1, 1946, and March 29, 2020, found that these factors strongly
predicted later depression in children, adolescents, and young adults.
Additionally,
loneliness correlated with an increased risk of mental health problems up to 9
years later in life.
An April
2020 article from the European Paediatric Association investigated adolescent
mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers reviewed data from
preliminary studies in China and found that those aged 3–18 were more clingy,
distracted, irritable, and fearful of asking coronavirus-related questions.
They also had trouble sleeping, poor appetites, and separation problems.
Young
adults are also vulnerable to the psychological effects of social isolation.
An October 2020 study found that in a group of 564 adults aged 22–29
years, 60.7% of whom were female, loneliness increased between January and
April–May. This effect was more prevalent in females, as were increased
symptoms of depression.
Social
isolation can also cause physical symptoms, such as a weakened immune
system, an increased risk of diabetes, and an increased risk of death.
A 2016
study found a strong link between a poor social life and an elevated risk
of inflammation during adolescence.
In
older adults, a lack of social interaction is linked to a greater risk of
hypertension, compared with diabetes.
The
CDC cite 2020 estimates that one-third of adults aged 45 or older
feel lonely, and almost 1 in 4 adults 65 or older are socially isolated. This
is associated, they report, with health risks, including higher rates of
depression, anxiety, and suicide.
However,
while older adults may be experiencing significant social isolation from loved
ones, this may not necessarily translate into worsening mental health,
according to a recent Viewpoint article in JAMA.
Older adults less severely affected
A
group of researchers at institutions in Massachusetts, California, and
Pennsylvania looked at early data from several global studies on older adults
and mental health during the pandemic.
While older adults are considered a vulnerable
population for severe COVID-19 and related mortality, the researchers found
that these adults were less negatively affected by mental health strain than
younger adults.
One report from
the CDC, for example, concluded that older adults were less likely to start or
increase substance use and less likely to think about suicide.
Of
course, these findings do not apply to every older adult. In the same report,
the CDC acknowledge that adults from marginalized groups or low-income
households, and those who provided unpaid caregiving services were more likely
to experience adverse health effects.
This
is consistent with other evidence of higher levels of anxiety,
depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder in people of color,
compared with white people, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Medical News Today
My husband was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease at 57.his symptoms were shuffling of feet,slurred speech, low volume speech, degradation of hand writing, horrible driving skills, right arm held at 45 degree angle, things were tough for me, but now he finally free from the disease with the help of total cure ultimate health home, he now walks properly and all symptoms has reversed, he had trouble with balance especially at night, getting into the shower and exiting it is difficult,getting into bed is also another thing he finds impossible.we had to find a better solution for his condition which has really helped him a lot,the biggest helped we had was ultimatehealthhome they walked us through the proper steps,am highly recommended this ultimatehealthhome@gmail.com to anyone who needs help.
ReplyDelete