New scientific research has delivered a powerful message for our later years: actively learning new skills is a potent shield for mental health. A study from the United States has found that older adults who engaged in learning during the Covid-19 pandemic were significantly less likely to suffer from depression or loneliness, with the positive effects enduring for more than a year.
The Pandemic as a Learning Laboratory
The research, led by Professor Rachel Wu from the University of California, Riverside, capitalised on the unique conditions of the pandemic to investigate resilience across age groups. Published in the journal PLOS Mental Health, the work comprised two separate studies. The first tracked adults, including a cohort aged 50 and above, over a 12-month period, monitoring the time they spent acquiring new abilities and corresponding shifts in their wellbeing.
The results were striking. "People who were actively learning fared better in terms of mental health outcomes, especially older adults who might otherwise have been more vulnerable to isolation and stress," explained the paper's lead author, Lilian Azer. The benefits were measured across self-assessed levels of depression, loneliness, and general psychological health.
Short-Term Discomfort for Long-Term Gain
Interestingly, the study revealed that the advantages were not immediate. Engaging with difficult new material could be frustrating in the moment. However, a year later, those who had persevered showed markedly greater resilience to life's pressures compared to peers who had not challenged themselves.
Professor Wu contextualises this finding against established ageing theory. While the socio-emotional selectivity theory suggests older individuals naturally prioritise emotional comfort, Wu argues an exclusive focus on immediate gratification has a cost. "Learning new skills is frustrating at first, especially if you haven't done it in a while," she said. "But if we only do what feels good in the moment, we might be giving up the ability to adapt when life throws something big at us."
Building a Ready "Learning Machinery"
A second, supporting study examined adults over 58 who had undertaken structured learning—such as digital photography or a new language—before the pandemic hit. When crisis struck, this group demonstrated superior emotional resilience compared to a similar group without that recent learning experience.
This underscores a key conclusion: the cognitive and adaptive machinery of learning needs to be kept active. "You want to have the machinery of learning dusted off, so it works when you need it," Professor Wu remarked. She highlights a critical gap in research, which often stops at young adulthood, and calls for a broader understanding of lifelong learning's role.
"There's so little research on how learning affects people after their formal education ends," Wu noted. "But we know that if you're not learning, you're probably declining, no matter what age you are." The research team hopes these insights will inspire targeted interventions, positioning ongoing education as vital to self-sufficiency as physical health. Their advice is clear: don't wait for a crisis to start learning. Seek challenges and keep growing to stay ready for whatever comes next.
