The effects of age on quality of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Mental health plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of an individual. Although it is becoming an increasingly prominent topic today, the relationship between age and measures of mental health, such as the frequency of mental illness or perceived mental health, has not been formally studied. Over the last 50 years, the median age of Canadians increased, so studying the impacts of increased age on mental health is important. Furthermore, understanding the impacts of age on mental health disorders is crucial for targeting support to correct populations and challenging associated stigmas. We hypothesized that older age groups would have a lower incidence of mental health disorders and a higher rate of people reporting fair or poor perceived mental health because of increased emotional stability and maturity. Using the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health by the government of Canada, we investigated the prevalence of two mental health disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) to examine the incidence of mental health disorders across four age brackets. From the Canadian Community Health Survey, data on the perceived mental health of Canadians during the pandemic was compared across age groups. We found significant increase in the prevalence of GAD and MDD in the younger age groups. We also found significant negative correlations between the prevalence of mental health disorders and age using linear regressions. These data suggest that more attention should be placed on the mental well-being of younger adults in Canada.