The Silver Santé Study’s Age Well clinical trial volunteers are helping our expert researchers learn more about the impact of the Covid 19 lockdown on their mental health and well-being.

The volunteers – all aged 65+ and living in Caen, France – completed a questionnaire at the beginning of the lockdown and another one at the end to help our researchers study the effects of being housebound and isolated from friends, family, and colleagues and its impact on mental health.

Dr Gaël Chételat, Project Coordinator, said: “As the Silver Santé Study is already focused on safeguarding good mental health and well-being in later life, our researchers are ideally placed to explore the effects of the lockdown.”

“Although it presents huge challenges for us all, the lockdown does, however, provide us with an opportunity to learn more about the effects of being isolated from friends, family and colleagues and its impact on our mental health and well-being in later life.

“It will also be very interesting to see whether there is any difference between the group that practiced meditation, the group that learned a new language and the group that made no lifestyle change.

“We hope to have results of this study as soon as possible so that the findings can inform policy and support relating to the current and future lockdowns.”

For advice and links to help older adults safeguard their mental health and well-being during the lockdown see our advice page at https://silversantestudy.eu/2020/04/28/tips-for-maintaining-good-mental-health-and-well-being-during-the-lockdown/

The effects of Covid 19 lockdown isolation are being assessed by Silver Santé researchers.