Statistics Canada is studying mood disorders in Canadians over the age of 65, saying the research is needed as the population ages and as few studies have examined the prevalence mood disorders in this age group.
The pooled sample of 172,524 community-dwelling Canadians over age 65, from the Canadian Community Health Survey conducted between 2015 and 2023, found during that period, seven per cent of older Canadians reported a diagnosis of a mood disorder. Women, 8.3 per cent of them, were more likely to report such a condition when compared to men – only 5.5 per cent of men surveyed said the same. This, after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, geographic and health-related factors.
Among Indigenous people surveyed, 10.2 per cent reported a diagnosis, compared with 7.2 per cent of non-Indigenous, non-racialized survey respondents. “South Asian and Chinese males, as well as females belonging to Black and other racialized groups, had significantly lower odds compared with their non-Indigenous, non-racialized counterparts,” Statistics Canada researchers write in the report, Mood disorders among older Canadians. “Living alone, being a male immigrant and having lower household income were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing mood disorders among older Canadians,” they add.
In 2022 an estimated 4.7 million Canadians over age 15 reported a lifetime diagnosis of a mood disorder. In the general population, the number of women who report having a mood disorder was 18.4 per cent, or 12.6 per cent for men. The researchers note that this may be an underestimate.
“While numerous studies have examined factors associated with mood disorders in the general population (12 years and older), few have focused on older Canadians (65 years or older). Older people are becoming a larger proportion of the Canadian population, comprising 19.9 per cent in 2024 and projected to reach between 21.9 per cent (slow aging scenario) and 32.3 per cent (fast aging scenario) in 2073,” they write. “Older adults are more susceptible than younger adults to the negative impacts of mood disorders, including medical comorbidities, cognitive decline, higher suicide risk and increased mortality.”
