A new study indicates that one in eight Canadian adults may have experienced depression for the first time during the pandemic.

The results of a survey involving more than 20,000 Canadian adults aged 50 and over were also published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, identifying quantitative data showing prevalent increases in depression among seniors who had no prior mental health issues.

In this regard, Andy McNeill, a researcher at the University of Toronto and author of the study, said in a press release on Thursday that this high rate of first-time depression "highlights the significant mental health losses caused by the pandemic in a group of seniors who were previously in excellent mental health."

The study also identified several factors associated with deteriorating mental health among seniors during the pandemic – including financial struggles, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and family conflict.

The researchers also assessed survey participants with a history of mental health decline and found that nearly half of the group (45 percent) reported a state of depression by fall 2020.

Sabria Burke, another co-author of the study and a researcher at Carleton University, sees how the pandemic particularly affected people with a history of depression – and what this data should mean for healthcare screening and mental health resources. She said in the statement: "Healthcare professionals should be vigilant in screening their patients who have experienced psychological issues early in life."

In addition to identifying the widespread rise in depression across the country, the data also pinpointed demographic vulnerability to mental health decline among individuals with low socioeconomic status.

Canadian seniors suffering from chronic pain and who faced difficulties accessing usual treatments, medications, or healthcare services were more likely to experience depression by fall 2020.

Research also pointed out that adults who experienced family conflict during the COVID-19 outbreak were three times more likely to suffer depression compared to those who did not.