COVID-19, social isolation, and the mental health of older adults: A digital catch-22.

UNSTRUCTURED: One of the most at-risk groups during the COVID-19 crisis are older adults, especially those who live in congregate living, seniors' care facilities, are immune-compromised, and/or have other underlying illnesses. Measures used to contain the spread of the virus are far-reaching and older adults were amongst the first groups to have restrictions on face-to-face contact. Whilst reducing viral transmission is critical, there are significant negative psychosocial implications of social distancing, particularly for older adults, such as increased rates of depression and anxiety . With non-mental health populations ,promising evidence suggests that participatory digital co-design, defined as the combination of user-centered design and community engagement models, shows high levels of engagement in mobile technologies among persons with mental health conditions. The pandemic has certainly highlighted the shortcomings of existing technologies and issues in their uptake and usage; however, strategies such as co-design may be leveraged to address these challenges both in the adaptation of existing technologies and the development of new technologies. By incorporating these strategies, it is hoped that we can offset some of the negative mental health implications for older adults both in the context of physical distancing both during and beyond the pandemic.