Anxious and depressed people over 50 saw six-year ‘memory decline’ during pandemic, study finds

Older people who have anxiety or depression were found to have an average decline in their short-term memory equivalent to six years of natural ageing during the first year of the pandemic, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of Exeter and King’s College London used data collected from the Protect online study over the last five years and looked at the impact of the pandemic’s peak in 2020 for 6,300 people aged 50 and over.

They found that participants in this age group who reported an increase in anxiety and depression also scored lower on cognitive tasks designed to measure short-term memory and attention.

For memory, the decrease was the equivalent to the decline normally seen over six years of natural ageing. For attention, the difference was the equivalent of five years of ageing.

The study also looked at cognitive tests which showed the largest dip in memory and attention was seen in participants who showed higher levels of anxiety and depression.

The Protect online study asked participants to provide lifestyle information in a detailed questionnaire and take part in cognitive tests. The aim of the study is to help researchers understand what factors are involved in how the brain ages, and what can be done to keep minds healthy in later life.

“We found that people who were more anxious and depressed during 2019/2020 also saw their short-term memory and ability to focus worsen, by the equivalent of five to six years of what we’d expect to see from natural ageing,” Dr Helen Brooker, who led the research, said.

"It’s likely that key factors were the unprecedented impact of worsening mental health caused by widespread anxiety over the pandemic, and long periods of lockdown.

"We need to understand this better so we can create effective strategies to support people and preserve both mental health and brain health in future pandemics."

The study utilised measures of depression and anxiety severity commonly used in clinic and researchers noted a significant shift in the number of people scoring higher on these scales than previously.

Professor Dag Aarsland, from King’s College London, added: “We had five years of mental health reports and online scores in brain tests, which has enabled us to pinpoint the impact of the pandemic.

“We will continue to monitor how this plays out over time, so our insights can help us fully understand the impact of this pandemic, to help us prepare for future events on the same scale.”