A link between biological age and depression has been found

The analysis was based on data from the Canadian Aging Study, which included more than 600 people with an average age of about 63 years at the start of the follow-up. The biological age of the participants was assessed using two recognized epigenetic clocks, and the level of depressive symptoms was monitored over several waves from 2012 to 2020, including the initial stage of the pandemic.

The epigenetic age reflects the rate of aging of an organism at the molecular level and may differ markedly from the passport age. It is generally believed that a younger biological profile is associated with better health and greater resistance to stress. The results showed a more complex picture. It was in women that the lower epigenetic age proved to be the reason for the increased depressive manifestations in conditions of social isolation. No such connection was found in men.

The authors propose a possible explanation for this paradox. Women with a younger biological profile were likely to have led more active social and professional lives before the pandemic, and were more likely to be involved in caring for loved ones or social activities. A sharp break in the usual social ties, loss of the structure of the day and a decrease in physical activity could be emotionally more painful for them than for those whose lives were initially less intense.

The study highlights the importance of gender as a biological and social factor in the analysis of mental health in crisis. Biological markers of aging, such as the epigenetic clock, in this context cease to be just an indicator of a resource and begin to reflect vulnerability to certain types of stress.

Although the work has limitations, including the time gap between measuring biological age and the pandemic, it nevertheless shows that the interaction of biology and the social environment can determine mental well-being in ways that are not obvious, and that taking these factors into account can improve strategies for the prevention and support of mental health in older people.