Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Current Understanding and Future Directions

Roy, Kamolika; Smilowitz, Stephen; Bhatt, Shivani; Conroy, Michelle

doi:10.1007/s13670-023-00393-5

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Impact of Social Isolation: The studies by Refs. [ 7 , 8 ] underline the exacerbated social isolation among older adults due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While these studies provide valuable insights into the issue, they often lack a detailed exploration of effective mitigation strategies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social isolation significantly affects this group's health and quality of life [ 6 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified the social isolation experienced by older people [ 7 , 8 ]. This highlights the necessity of developing effective strategies to combat social isolation, which can negatively impact older adults' physical and mental health, well-being, and active aging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Enhancing active aging through IRAGE: Mitigating social isolation with intergenerational gaming

Díaz,

Gil,

Cabeza

et al. 2024

Heliyon

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing active aging through IRAGE: Mitigating social isolation with intergenerational gaming

Díaz,

Gil,

Cabeza

et al. 2024

Heliyon

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…2 ) [ 76 ]. Nevertheless, and as other authors also stated, factors associated with loneliness in older individuals are multi-faceted, which implies the need for an integrated research approach [ 77 ]. A fortunate thing is that new methods for data analysis, like network and mediation analyses, are widely available, and can be used to create complex models, to serve as theoretical frameworks for planning interventions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psycho-social and health predictors of loneliness in older primary care patients and mediating mechanisms linking comorbidities and loneliness

Trtica,

Volarić,

Kurevija

et al. 2023

BMC Geriatr

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Background Aging is associated with many personal, social, and environmental challenges that increase the risk of loneliness. Loneliness is a painful emotional experience associated with a perceived lack of connection and intimacy. Loneliness accelerates health deterioration, but the presence of chronic health conditions (comorbidities) in older individuals may potentiate the feeling of loneliness. The relationships between health status and loneliness in older individuals have not been assessed in an integrated manner, although it is necessary for planning efficient interventions. The aim of this study was to fill in this knowledge gap, by attempting to create an integrated model of loneliness in older individuals. Methods The sample consisted of 189 (58% F) older individuals (> 60 years) (mean ± SD, 78.47 ± 6.65), attendees in Primary Health Care. Different factors associated with loneliness in the older population were assessed, and classified as demographic, environmental, physical (health-related), and psychological, in addition to functional abilities. A set of standard questionnaires was used to assess psychological factors and functional abilities. The hierarchical regression model assessed the effect of particular blocks of factors on status loneliness. The second aim was to analyze how psychological factors mediate associations between health status (comorbidity level) and loneliness. Results Indicated that increasing comorbidity, anxiety, lack of positive moods, not having hobbies/activities, low perception of social support, impaired cognitive function, and suppression of emotion expression, are significant predictors of loneliness. Mediation analysis informed us of how to help patients with comorbidities feel less lonely. Interventions that were suggested were those that can reduce anxiety and depression, improve cognitive abilities and emotional regulation control, and enhance social support. Conclusions Results can help understand the pathophysiology loops linking poor health status (comorbidity level) of older individuals and loneliness, and have significant potentials from the translational perspectives, as a decision-support tool.

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“…Older people are overall more exposed to the risk of social isolation and loneliness due to the greater likelihood of having to face situations such as living alone, the loss of family and friends, multimorbidity and reduced mobility, with severe consequences especially on mental health [99]. Also, social isolation and loneliness in older people negatively impact their overall well-being [100]. It is thus extremely important to design and implement adequate interventions in this respect.…”

Section: Possible Policy Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support Resources of Frail Older People Ageing in Place Alone in Italy

Melchiorre,

Socci,

Lamura

et al. 2024

Healthcare

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This paper presents some findings from the IN-AGE (“Inclusive ageing in place”) study, which the authors carried out in 2019 in Italy. It explores the available social support resources for frail older people with functional limitations ageing in place alone, and possible links between their social isolation and perceived loneliness. The authors conducted qualitative/semi-structured interviews involving 120 participants aged 65 years and over, and used a mixed-methods analysis (quantitative/qualitative). The main results show the family as the main help resource for daily activities, but also for intimate confidences against social isolation, especially when said relatives live close. Family confidants are less present when seniors are supported by friends/neighbours or/and public services. Moreover, the family is valuable for decreasing loneliness, although not always. However, some older people feel particularly alone when they are supported by public services. Such a complex context draws attention on the need of support for frail seniors living alone and could provide insights for policymakers on adequate policies for preventing and managing loneliness and social isolation in later life. This is especially relevant when family (and other) resources are not available or scarce, also considering the opportunities offered by technology, which can help seniors remain socially connected to relatives, friends and their overall community.

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Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Current Understanding and Future Directions

Cited by 5 publications

References 67 publications

Enhancing active aging through IRAGE: Mitigating social isolation with intergenerational gaming

Enhancing active aging through IRAGE: Mitigating social isolation with intergenerational gaming

Psycho-social and health predictors of loneliness in older primary care patients and mediating mechanisms linking comorbidities and loneliness

Perceived Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support Resources of Frail Older People Ageing in Place Alone in Italy

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