A recent longitudinal study from the University of Toronto has unveiled significant mental health challenges faced by older adults living with migraine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, which analyzed data from over 2,000 participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, found that more than one in seven older adults with migraines experienced depression for the first time amid the pandemic. Additionally, approximately half of those with a prior history of depression saw a recurrence during this period.
“People living with migraine are already known to be highly vulnerable to adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression,” said Esme Fuller-Thomson, the study’s senior author and a professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Given the increased stressors during the pandemic—like disruptions to medication and healthcare access—we aimed to understand how these factors impacted the mental health of those with migraines.”
The researchers identified specific risk factors that contributed to heightened depression rates among older adults with migraines during the pandemic. Notably, increased family conflict was linked to a five-fold increase in the risk of new depression cases and a three-fold increase in the risk of recurrent depression.
“Many families faced heightened discord and conflict during lockdowns, exacerbated by reduced access to coping mechanisms like outdoor physical activity and socializing with friends,” explained Andie MacNeil, a co-author and PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “This likely contributed to the mental health challenges observed during this time.”
Other pandemic-related stressors identified in the study included difficulties accessing healthcare, which was already a significant issue for migraine sufferers prior to the pandemic. Co-author Aneisha Taunque, a research assistant at the Institute for Life Course and Aging, noted, “Access to comprehensive healthcare worsened during the pandemic, potentially exacerbating mental health challenges for this population.”
The study also highlighted that increased caregiving responsibilities were associated with a doubling of the risk for incident depression among older adults with migraines. “Caregiving can be extremely demanding for individuals suffering from debilitating pain, such as that caused by migraines. Many reported an increase in their caregiving duties during the pandemic,” stated Ying Jiang, a Senior Epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The research team included Sarah Leo, a recent MSW graduate, Dr. Grace Li, a former research associate, and Margaret de Groh, a retired Scientific Manager at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The authors stress the need for continued research to understand the long-term effects of the pandemic on depression among people with migraines. “It is crucial to determine whether the observed increases in depression were temporary responses to pandemic-related stressors or if these trends have persisted post-pandemic,” Fuller-Thomson concluded. “This understanding could guide targeted screening and interventions for individuals with migraines.”
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