TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — During the pandemic, older adults with migraine experienced a substantial increase in the risk for depression, regardless of previous history, than before the pandemic and compared with older adults without migraine, according to a study published online Nov. 20 in the Journal of Pain Research. 

Andie MacNeil, from the University of Toronto, and colleagues examined the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of people with migraine. The analysis included data from four waves of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging’s comprehensive cohort (2,181 with migraine).

The researchers found that older adults with migraine, both with and without a history of depression, experienced increases in depression during the pandemic versus before the pandemic and compared with older adults without migraine. Those who felt lonely and those who experienced an increase in family conflict during the pandemic had higher risk of incident and recurrent depression. Only those who experienced difficulty accessing health care and those who experienced other family challenges, such as increased caregiving responsibilities, had a higher risk for incident depression. Those who felt left out socially, those with functional limitations, and those whose income did not satisfy their basic needs had a higher risk for recurrent depression.

“Targeted interventions are needed to support the mental health of older adults with migraine,” the authors write. 

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