Older people who "shielded" during the Covid-19 pandemic were nearly twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression compared with those who did not shield, even after accounting for loneliness and having fewer social contacts, a study has found.
The report, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, shows that staying at home throughout the pandemic, as well as shielding, were strongly associated with greater risks of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and lower quality of life.
Shielding is when a person took extra precautions to protect themselves against infection, such as avoiding crowds and staying at home as much as possible.
“When restrictions came into place in March 2020, around 3.8 million (6 per cent) people in the UK were ordered to shield, 74 per cent of whom were aged over 50. Our study is the first of its kind to look at the effect shielding had on the mental well-being of older people in England,” said lead author Dr Giorgio Di Gessa from University College London's institute of epidemiology and health care.
“We know from previous studies that the pandemic and policies restricting human interaction have posed a greater risk to mental health and well-being, especially among specific people in socioeconomic adversity, those with pre-existing poorer health, and those feeling lonely.
“In our study we therefore took all these factors into account to understand if shielding and staying at home were additional factors contributing to poorer mental health among older people.”
The research team used data from more than 5,000 people over the age of 50 who are part of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to investigate the effects of shielding on mental health.
The data was collected during the first eight to nine months of the pandemic. Lockdowns were in effect during two of those months.
“Our analysis supports the idea that shielding itself has been harmful, over and above other known vulnerabilities,” said Dr Di Gessa.
“One reason for this could be the psychological impact of being told so starkly of your own vulnerability and mortality and the policing of your own behaviour, and resulting anxiety and stress.”
Respondents were asked whether during April, June/July, and November/December 2020 they shielded, stayed at home (leaving only for reasons such as exercise, essential work or shopping for food) or neither.
Their mental health was then assessed by asking questions about symptoms of depression and anxiety, their well-being and quality of life.
About 28 per cent of respondents said they shielded at least once, with 5 per cent shielding throughout the first eight to nine months of the pandemic.
About a 33 per cent reported staying at home all the time, while 37 per cent neither shielded nor stayed at home.
Among those adults who shielded at all times, in November and December 2020, 42 per cent reported elevated depressive symptoms compared with 23 per cent among those who did not shield nor stay at home.
Older people shielding throughout the period analysed in the study also reported the lowest life satisfaction and quality of life scores.
The researchers were able to account for pre-pandemic mental and physical health, as well as social contact with family and friends and loneliness during the pandemic, to better understand whether the links between shielding and poorer mental health were driven by pre-existing conditions or reduced social interactions and higher loneliness during the pandemic.
“Policymakers need to be aware of adverse consequences for the mental health and well-being of those advised to shield or stay at home,” said co-author Prof Debbie Price from the University of Manchester.
"If the long-term health and social well-being of older people is to be safeguarded, there must be careful thought given to addressing the mental health and wider needs of individuals at higher risk from Covid-19 variants, or future pandemics."
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
How to help
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
