“What we found is the pandemic was associated with worse mental health outcomes for many older adults. However, for some, having close social networks seemed to serve as a protector against negative mental health outcomes,” Krendl said. On average, older adults reported spending about 76 minutes socializing virtually or over the phone each day. But certainly, periods of mental health distress can have longer term implications for health and well-being. Characterizing those shifts will be important for understanding the full impact of the pandemic on older adults’ mental and social wellbeing,” she said.

Source: Hindustan Times August 28, 2020 08:48 UTC