# Mental health in adults aged 50+ since the COVID-19 pandemic: Are we (all) back to ‘normal’? evidence from England

## TL;DR

This study finds that mental health worsened for older adults in England after the pandemic, with some inequalities narrowing.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on long-term mental health impacts of the pandemic in older adults and changes in health inequalities.

## Key findings

- Mental health levels declined significantly for adults aged 50+ in 2021–2023 compared to pre-pandemic periods.
- Inequalities in depression by gender and living situation decreased after the pandemic.
- Pre-existing inequalities in mental health by wealth and other factors largely persisted.

## Abstract

To understand how population mental health levels and inequalities in these are in the post-lockdown world compared to before the pandemic in adults aged 50 and older.

We used data from three Waves (2016–2017, n = 7191; 2018–2019, n = 7286; and 2021–2023, n = 6249) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Using linear and modified Poisson regression models, we investigated whether prevalence of high depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and loneliness, and quality-of-life levels changed across time points overall and by gender, living situation, and wealth quintiles. Models were adjusted for age group, gender, education, and long-standing illnesses.

No significant differences were found between 2016–2017 and 2018–2019. However, compared to 2018–2019, prevalence of high depressive symptoms (RR2021–2023 = 1.23[95 %CI 1.12;1.34], p < 0.001), loneliness (RR2021–2023 = 1.32[1.22;1.42], p < 0.001) and quality-of-life levels (B2021–2023 = −1.84 [−2.21;−1.48], p < 0.001) were worse by 2021–2023. Pre-existing inequalities by gender, living arrangements, and wealth were not significantly different after the pandemic, except for depression, where gaps were significantly smaller by gender (RR2021–2023*women = 0.72[0.59;0.89], p = 0.002) and, to a smaller extent, living situation (RR2021–2023*not_alone=1.22[1.02;1.47], p = 0.026).

Population mental health levels in the population aged 50 and older seem to have declined after the pandemic, and inequalities within the population persist.