The impact of loneliness on late-life depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objective - This study investigates the association of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and the course of depressive, anxiety and sleep symptoms after psychological treatment in older adults. - Methods - During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, we assessed additional, original data of 1...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
July 2025
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| In: |
American journal of geriatric psychiatry
Year: 2025, Volume: 33, Issue: 7, Pages: 717729 |
| ISSN: | 15457214 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jagp.2025.01.003 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2025.01.003 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1064748125000120 
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| Author Notes: | Julia M€uller, M.Sc., Moritz Elsaesser, M.Sc., Ruben Berger, M.Sc., Wiebke M€uller, M.Sc., Martin Hellmich, Ph.D., Nadine Zehender, M.Sc., Steffi Riedel-Heller, M.D., Bettina H Bewernick, Ph.D., Michael Wagner, Ph.D., Lutz Frölich, M.D., Oliver Peters, M.D., Katharina Domschke, M.D., Ph.D., Frank Jessen, M.D., Martin Hautzinger, Ph.D., Forugh S. Dafsari, M.D., Elisabeth Schramm, Ph.D. |
| Summary: | Objective - This study investigates the association of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and the course of depressive, anxiety and sleep symptoms after psychological treatment in older adults. - Methods - During the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, we assessed additional, original data of 132 participants aged ≥60 years who had completed psychological treatment for late-life depression (LLD) in the context of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial (CBT-late). We measured loneliness using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Depression, anxiety and sleep symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). - Results - Participants with higher loneliness scores (n = 44) experienced a significant worsening of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic (estimated marginal mean difference (emmd) of change in GDS between post-treatment and COVID-19 visit: GDSemmd= −4.61, [95% CI: −6.97 to −2.26], GAIemmd= −2.21, [95% CI: −3.76 to −0.65]), while those with low to moderate loneliness (n = 72) maintained stable mild symptoms (GDSemmd= −1.39, [95% CI: −3.00 to 0.22], GAIemmd= −0.49, [95% CI: −1.69 to 0.72]). All patients reported increased sleep disturbances during the pandemic regardless of loneliness, while remaining in the range for sub-threshold insomnia. - Conclusions - Our results suggest an association of significant loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and a clinically relevant worsening of depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults. Loneliness assessments and interventions may be incorporated into treatments for LLD, particularly during pandemics or other crises. |
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| Item Description: | Online verfügbar: 21. Januar 2025, Artikelversion: 14. Mai 2025 Gesehen am 16.09.2025 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 15457214 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jagp.2025.01.003 |