Pandemic anxiety 'hangover' affecting older people, study finds

Professor Rose Anne Kenny is an Irish geriatrician, director of the Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing and founding principal investigator for The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda). Picture: Julien Behal

Levels of loneliness among older people have not yet receded to pre-covid levels, with a "hangover” from pandemic-related fear and anxiety still affecting people, a study on ageing has found.

Some 24% of older people in rural areas have no access to creative activities, 12% of people in towns other than Dublin find this, but only 5% of older people in Dublin reported this, the Creative Activity in the Ageing Population: Findings from Wave 6 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda) also show.

“I can tell you that during covid, loneliness went up three-fold,” said founding principal investigator Professor Rose Anne Kenny. 

“We measured loneliness before covid, obviously, with one of the [Tilda] waves, we did a covid-wave during covid, and then we measured afterwards."

She added: “Depression was three-fold higher during covid, and unfortunately after covid had not returned to baseline levels. 

It was halfway between a peak and where it was at baseline. Likewise loneliness.” 

Prof Kenny said it is a hidden problem.

“This is at a population level, a societal level — the hangover effect of social isolation, and I guess the sometimes extreme fear experienced and anxiety about the unknown,” she said.

Benefits of creative activities

The data shows, however, that participation in arts, creative, and cultural activities is associated with higher quality of life and lower levels of depression, stress, worry, and loneliness.

There are “long-term associations between higher quality of life and participation” in any sort of creative activity. Overall the most popular activity was listening to, playing, or teaching music, with 52% of participants taking part in these.

The highest participation rates were found in Dublin City and county, at 34%, with the lowest in Kerry at 15%, as it was for Cavan, Monaghan, and Westmeath. 

Clare had the highest participation levels in Munster, followed by Waterford, Tipperary, and then Cork.

The study found that 62% of women currently or used to take part in these activities, compared with only 46% of men.

The results also show older adults with third-level education are over five times more likely to participate compared to those with primary-level education only.

Socialisation 'unlearned'

Speaking during a webinar on the findings, Prof Kenny said continuing to take part in cultural activities is vital.

“Older adults who’d previously participated but no longer do so had lower levels of quality of life, and higher levels of depression and loneliness compared to those who currently participate,” she said.

Former broadcaster Olivia O'Leary at the 2016 Radharc Awards. Picture: Karl Hussey Photography

The webinar was chaired by former RTÉ journalist Olivia O’Leary, who said that during the covid period, it is almost as though people “unlearned" the socialisation lessons picked up in their youth.

Prof Kenny agreed, saying: “I think that will chime with people, people will identify with what you’ve just said. 

In this context, we all need to reach out.

"I think confidence has been lost, and self-esteem, in the whole covid process.” 

The report was produced in collaboration with Creative Ireland, with information collected between March 2021 and January 2022.