March 3, 2026Open Access

Secular- and longitudinal trends in mental health among older adults in Norway: The Tromsø Study 2001-2016

Key Points

Mental distress prevalence declined significantly among older adults from 2001 to 2016, especially in women.
Anxiety scores showed a marked reduction, influencing overall mental health trends in the population.
Analysis of data from the Tromsø Study highlights informing mental health strategies for older adults.
These findings suggest potential shifts in mental health trends, yet further research is required to understand underlying causes.

Abstract

Mental distress prevalence among older adults declined from 2001 to 2016. Mental health trends appear to be driven by reduced anxiety scores. Women exhibited stronger trends, narrowing sex differences in mental health. Further research is needed to elucidate these trends.

Read Full Paperexternally

Bookmark

View Full Paper

Cite This Study

Martinsen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a7661bbadf0bb9e87dbb95 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121325

Bookmark

View Full Paper