“It is good to see the positive wellbeing has gone back to normal or even better than normal,” Zaninotto said, although levels of depression in older adults still higher than before the pandemic suggest more help is needed, she added.
The team found rebounds in positive wellbeing and depression were generally less pronounced among those aged 75 and over, while measures of positive wellbeing were consistently lower for participants aged 50–59 at all time points compared with older groups.
But she said it was concerning that the study suggested the older you are, the smaller the improvements in positive wellbeing and rates of depression, and that, in general, rates of depression in older people were above pre-pandemic levels.
People 50 and over in England have greater life satisfaction and sense life is more worthwhile than before the Covid pandemic, although depression is more common, researchers have found.
Prof Paola Zaninotto, first author of the research from University College London, said the study showed wellbeing and mental health worsened between the early stages of the pandemic and later in 2020, contrary to some reports.
