Depression during the COVID-19 pandemic among older Canadians with peptic ulcer disease: Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have exacerbated many known risk factors for depression that may be particularly concerning for individuals with chronic health conditions, such as peptic ulcer disease (PUD). In a large longitudinal sample of older adults with PUD, the current study examined the incidence of depression during the pandemic among those without a pre-pandemic history of depression (n = 689) and the recurrence of depression among those with a history of depression (n = 451). Data came from four waves of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with incident and recurrent depression. Among older adults with PUD and without a history of depression, approximately 1 in 8 (13.0%) developed depression for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those with a history of depression, approximately 1 in 2 (46.6%) experienced depression during the pandemic. The risk of incident depression and recurrent depression was higher among those who were lonely, those with functional limitations, and those who experienced an increase in family conflict during the pandemic. The risk of incident depression only was higher among women, individuals whose income did not satisfy their basic needs, those who were themselves ill and/or those whose loved ones were ill or died during the pandemic, and those who had disruptions to healthcare access during the pandemic. The risk of recurrent depression only was higher among those with chronic pain and those who had difficulty accessing medication during the pandemic. Implications for interventions are discussed.