Hafsah Ali - Department of Psychiatry
At one point in our lives, we have all experienced loneliness. One way or another, humans are social creatures, requiring interaction with other humans to remain sane. This is why some children may create imaginary friends that can keep them company, to prevent them from feeling alone. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, we were all forced as a society into isolation, resulting in a drastic rise in the rates of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse disorders (NIH 2023). As we age, loneliness becomes all the more prevalent. Issues like the death of loved ones, debilitating illness, general loss of strength, and social isolation from retirement contribute to the increased risk of loneliness in the elderly (NHS 2022). Unfortunately, years of research have indicated that loneliness and all-cause mortality are linked, though researchers remain unsure of the reason why (Zhou 2023).
A recent meta-analysis that was completed involved 120 different articles that reviewed literature that linked loneliness and all-cause mortality. The overall conclusions were that there are statistically significant findings showing the linkage between loneliness with, “depression, cognitive impairment, decreased subjective well-being, sleep disorders, reduced quality of life, and suicidal tendency” (Zhou). All of these factors contribute to the increased association between loneliness and mortality. While research remains unclear of a definitive reason why, it is worth investing more effort into determining how we can use mental health resources to reduce loneliness in the elderly to improve outcomes.
References:
1. Author links open overlay panelXiang Zhou, AbstractDespite the well-established association between loneliness and all-cause mortality in older adults, Barreto, M., Bodner, E., Courtenay, W. H., Grand, A., Julsing, J. E., Lara, E., Melsen, W. G., Olsen, R. B., Pitkala, K. H., Qi, X., Rosenthal, R., Schulz, R., Tilvis, R., Tilvis, R. S., Antonucci, T. C., Begg, C. B., Boerner, K., … Liu, J. (2023, August 21). A meta-analysis of the association between loneliness and all-cause mortality in older adults. Psychiatry Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178123003803
2.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Mental health. National Institutes of Health. https://covid19.nih.gov/covid-19-topics/mental-health#:~:text=In%20a%202021%20study%2C%20nearly,the%20beginning%20of%20the%20pandemic.
3. NHS. (2022, August 16). Loneliness in Older People. NHS choices. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/loneliness-in-older-people/
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