Loneliness in the Elderly

Ryan, Maura C.; Patterson, Joanne G.

doi:10.3928/0098-9134-19870501-04

Cited by 48 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Kivett (1979) found that inadequate transportation and unavailability of organized social activity were among the best predictors of loneliness in older adults. Inadequate transportation was also found by Berg, Mellstrom, andPersons (1981, cited in Ryan &Patterson, 1987) to be a correlate of loneliness, presumably because it has implications for the ability to maintain social contacts. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their caregivers have reported heightened feelings of loneliness as a result of the social separation that the disease causes for both (Keele-Card, Foxall, & Barron, 1993).…”

Section: Lack Of Social Network-loss Of Intimatesmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…We then turn our focus to depression, which is a major potential consequence of both shyness and loneliness. Like shyness, loneliness does not have a universally accepted defini- [Horowitz, French, & Anderson, 1982;Ryan & Patterson, 1987). Anderson (1992) noted that there is disagreement on whether loneliness should be considered a unidimensional construct (e.g., a simple discrepancy between an individual's desired and obtained social contacts) or a multidimensional construct (e.g., dividing loneliness on distinct and separate dimensions).…”

Section: Consequences Of Shynessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adolescents are by far the loneliest subgroup of the population (Brage, Meredith, & Woodward, 1993;Ryan & Patterson, 1987). Loneliness has been considered to be distinct from aloneness, solitude, and grief (Ryan & Patterson, 1987). Like shyness, loneliness has a cognitive component (thinking one is separate and isolated from others), an affective component (negative feelings of sadness, anger, and depression), and a behavioral component (actions such as avoiding social contacts; Blai, 1989).…”

Section: Consequences Of Shynessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A strong relationship has been found between loneliness and anxiety (Jones et al, 1990;Moore & Schultz, 1983;Ryan & Patterson, 1987), particularly social anxiety (Moore and SchuItz, 1983;Neto, 1992). Moore and Schultz (1983) reported significant correlations between loneliness and both state and trait anxiety.…”

Section: High Anxiety (Especially Social)mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Loneliness, shyness, and depression: The etiology and interrelationships of everyday problems in living.

Dill

Anderson²

The Interactional Nature of Depression: Advances in Interpersonal Approaches.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In addition to the emotional trauma and psychological suffering inflicted on the victims, these problems exact a heavy monetary toll on society. Like a pebble tossed into a pond, these problems have their most obvious effects at the point of entry, but the impact radiates outward in an ever-widening circle. Perhaps this simile is too optimistic: It implies that one can observe and predict relatively low-level effects as the modestsized waves dissipate at increasing distances from the initial point of impact. A coastal earthquake may provide a better analogy. The most obvious victims are those at the epicenter-the shy, the lonely, and the depressed. However, such traumatic events can lead to unexpected problems at quite some distance, just as the tsunami created by the earthquake can appear suddenly and unexpectedly thousands of miles away. For example, it is not simply the immediate family who suffer with the shy, lonely, and depressed; coworkers, friends, and acquaintances of the family may also be adversely affected. The health care costs, lost days at work, increased accident rates, and decreased productivity of the immediate victims and these "ripple effect" victims are all consequences of shyness, loneliness, and depression.Other hidden costs also accrue. For instance, there are theoretical and empirical reasons to suspect that these problems in living increase the likelihood of a variety of violent behaviors, ranging from child abuse to murder. For instance, Lee, Zimbardo, and Bertholf (1977) showed that convicted murderers who had no prior history of violence were unusually shy. Shyness, loneliness, and depression may all increase a variety of aggressive behaviors through at least three separate mechanisms (e.g., Anderson, Anderson, & Deuser, 1996; see also Berkowitz, 1993;Geen, 1990). First, the lack of satisfying interpersonal ties may contribute to a lower or less effective set of inhibitions against aggression. Second, the high level of negative affect characteristic of these problems in living may increase unwarranted aggression. Finally, these problems may prime aggressive thoughts, thus producing increases in aggression. THE ROLE OF MODERN SOCIETYNumerous characteristics of modern society contribute to shyness, loneliness, and depression. The high mobility in U.S. society makes it difficult to develop and maintain close interpersonal relationships, even within families. Similarly, the loss of intergenerational ties and the rise of single-parent families contribute to the social isolation that underlies many of the problems in living. These characteristics of modem U.

show abstract

Section: Lack Of Social Network-loss Of Intimatesmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Consequences Of Shynessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Consequences Of Shynessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: High Anxiety (Especially Social)mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Loneliness, shyness, and depression: The etiology and interrelationships of everyday problems in living.

Dill

Anderson²

The Interactional Nature of Depression: Advances in Interpersonal Approaches.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Loneliness mayor may not be experienced by the person who is alone and the person who experiences loneliness may or may not be alone (Andersson, 1998 Dugan and Kivett (1994) reported that 21 per cent of rural older Americans experienced 'much loneliness '. Johnson et al (1993) reported that as many as 62 per cent of older people in America experience loneliness, while Ryan and Patterson (1987) found that loneliness was ranked as secondary only to fears about crime and ill-health among older Americans.…”

Section: The Experience and The Prevalence Of Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Irish People

Treacy¹,

Butler²,

Byrne³

et al. 2004

PsycEXTRA Dataset

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Council Is pleased that the results of this research dispel an enduring stereotype of old age by demonstrating that the majority of a representative sample of older people is not socially isolated or lonely. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate the importance of being able to adapt to transition times in older age and the necessity for economic, social and personal resources to facilitate this adaptation and to promote 'successful ageing'. Finally, the results highlight how critical it is for older people to be able to 'get out of the house' and the Council urges that the recommendations that it has made in this regard be acted on in the short-term in order to ensure that older people do not become socially excluded in their third and fourth ages.On behalf of the Council, I would like to thank the older people and service planners and providers who took part in this research. I would like to thank sincerely the Appreciation is also extended to the officers of the two health boards that granted access and to the individuals within the health boards who identified potential participants for inclusion in the study.To all the stakeholders (planners and providers) who participated in focus group interviews a special thank you is extended for their valuable contribution.We would like to thank Dr Clare Wenger, University of Wales for permission to use the Network Assessment Instrument used in this study. We are also grateful for the information and support given to the research team on the use of the instrument throughout the study.We would also like to acknowledge the help and advice given by Dr Enrico DiTommaso, University of New Brunswick. We are also grateful for Dr DiTommaso's permission to use the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults.Finally the research team wishes to thank the many administrative staff who made an essential contribution to the completion of this study. Special appreciation is extended to Tara Cryan, Tina Saul and Rosemary Gordon for their professional skill and support. References 205Appendices 211 Terms of Reference 229Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Irish People List of Tables Table 2.1: Cronbach's alpha (confidence intervals) and intercorrelations of the three SELSA·S subscales for the overall sample Table 2.2 Network types (Wenger, 1994) . pedple's Qwn-perspectives in addition t-o th'ose of planners and providers of services for.-":qlder pepple) that may be of assistance in preventing or alleviating loneliness and social living in either rented accommodation or with relatives, poor self-rated health and lack of transport) and life events/transition times were identified by the respondents as being related to the onset of loneliness and social isolation amorlQ older Irish people. Identifying Those at Risk of Loneliness and Social IsolationIn • Social ResourcesA meaningful social network and sociai interaction appear to be the strongest supports against loneliness and social isolation (Holmen and Furukawa, 2002). This was confirmed by this report which n...

show abstract

A review of loneliness concepts, with particular reference to old age

Weeks

1994

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Loneliness in the Elderly

Abstract: Loneliness has become as much a part of Americana as turkey on Thanksgiving - particularly for older Americans.

Cited by 48 publications

References 21 publications

Loneliness, shyness, and depression: The etiology and interrelationships of everyday problems in living.

Loneliness, shyness, and depression: The etiology and interrelationships of everyday problems in living.

Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Irish People

A review of loneliness concepts, with particular reference to old age

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About