Lonely in a crowd: Overcoming loneliness with acceptance and wisdom
Study looked at characteristics of loneliness in a senior housing community and the strategies residents used to overcome it
January 10, 2020
Science Daily/University of California - San Diego
Researchers found the main characteristics of loneliness in a senior housing community and the strategies residents use to overcome it.
By nature, human beings are social creatures. Yet, as we age, personal dynamics and lifestyles change, which can result in loneliness and isolation. With older adults increasingly moving into senior living or retirement communities, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine sought to identify the common characteristics of residents who feel lonely in these environments.
"Loneliness rivals smoking and obesity in its impact on shortening longevity," said senior author Dilip V. Jeste, MD, senior associate dean for the Center of Healthy Aging and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "It is a growing public health concern, and it's important that we identify the underlying causes of loneliness from the seniors' own perspectives so we can help resolve it and improve the overall health, well-being and longevity of our aging population."
Jeste noted that there are few published qualitative studies about loneliness among older adults in the independent living sector of senior housing communities, where shared common areas, planned social outings and communal activities are intended to promote socialization and reduce isolation. "So why are many older adults living in this type of housing still experiencing strong feelings of loneliness?" asked Jeste.
The new study, published online in the January 10, 2020 issue of Aging and Mental Health, found that people's experience of living with loneliness is shaped by a number of personal and environmental factors.
Researchers conducted one-and-a-half-hour individual interviews of 30 adults ages 67 to 92, part of an overall study evaluating the physical, mental and cognitive functions of 100 older adults living in the independent living sector of a senior housing community in San Diego.
In this communal setting, 85 percent of the residents reported moderate to severe levels of loneliness. "Loneliness is subjective," said Jeste. "Different people feel lonely for different reasons despite having opportunities and resources for socialization. This is not a one size fits all topic."
Three main themes emerged from the study:
Age-associated losses and inadequate social skills were considered to be primary risk factors for loneliness. "Some residents talked about the loss of spouses, siblings and friends as the cause of their loneliness. Others mentioned how making new friends in a senior community cannot replace deceased friends they grew up with," said first author Alejandra Paredes, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
The feeling of loneliness was frequently associated with a lack of purpose in life. "We heard powerful comments like, 'It's kind of gray and incarcerating,'" said Jeste. "Others expressed a sense of 'not being attached, not having very much meaning and not feeling very hopeful' or 'being lost and not having control.'"
The research team also found that wisdom, including compassion, seemed to be a factor that prevented loneliness. "One participant spoke of a technique she had used for years, saying 'if you're feeling lonely, then go out and do something for somebody else.' That's proactive," said Jeste. Other protective factors were acceptance of aging and comfort with being alone. "One resident told us, 'I've accepted the aging process. I'm not afraid of it. I used to climb mountains. I want to keep moving, even if I have to crawl. I have to be realistic about getting older, but I consider and accept life as a transition,'" Jeste noted. "Another resident responded, 'I may feel alone, but that doesn't mean I'm lonely. I'm proud I can live by myself.'"
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, by 2029, more than 20 percent of the United States population will be over the age of 65. "It is paramount that we address the well-being of our seniors -- they are friends, parents and grandparents of the younger generations," said Jeste. "Our study is relevant to better understand loneliness within senior housing and other settings to so we can develop effective interventions."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200110101033.htm
'Loneliness epidemic' may be due to increasing aging population
December 10, 2019
Science Daily/American Psychological Association
Despite some claims that Americans are in the midst of a 'loneliness epidemic,' older people today may not be any lonelier than their counterparts from previous generations -- there just might be more of them, according to a pair of new studies.
Despite some claims that Americans are in the midst of a "loneliness epidemic," older people today may not be any lonelier than their counterparts from previous generations -- there just might be more of them, according to a pair of studies published by the American Psychological Association.
"We found no evidence that older adults have become any lonelier than those of a similar age were a decade before," said Louise C. Hawkley, PhD, of NORC at the University of Chicago, lead author of one of the studies. "However, average reported loneliness begins to increase beyond age 75, and therefore, the total number of older adults who are lonely may increase once the baby boomers reach their late 70s and 80s."
The studies were published in the journal Psychology and Aging.
Hawkley and her colleagues used data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project and the Health and Retirement Study, two national surveys of older adults that compared three groups of U.S. adults born in different periods throughout the 20th century. They first analyzed data in 2005 to 2006 from 3,005 adults born between 1920 and 1947 and a second time in 2010 to 2011 from 3,377 people, which included those from the previous survey who were still alive, and their spouses or partners. The third survey, in 2015 to 2016, comprised 4,777 adults, which included an additional sample of adults born between 1948 and 1965 to the surviving respondents from the previous two surveys.
The authors examined participants' level of loneliness, educational attainment, overall health on a scale from poor to excellent, marital status and number of family members, relatives and friends they felt close to. They found that loneliness decreased between the ages of 50 and 74, but increased after age 75, yet there was no difference in loneliness between baby boomers and similar-aged adults of earlier generations.
"Loneliness levels may have decreased for adults between 50 and 74 because they had better educational opportunities, health care and social relationships than previous generations," said Hawkley.
Adults over 75 were more susceptible to becoming lonely, possibly due to life factors such as declining health or the loss of a spouse or significant other, according to Hawkley.
"Our research suggests that older adults who remain in good health and maintain social relationships with a spouse, family or friends tend to be less lonely," said Hawkley.
In a similar study, researchers in the Netherlands found that older adults were less lonely than their counterparts from previous generations.
These researchers used data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a long-term study of the social, physical, cognitive and emotional functioning of older adults. A total of 4,880 people, born between 1908 and 1957, participated.
The study measured peoples' loneliness, control over situations and life in general and goal achievement. For example, participants rated loneliness on a scale from 0 (no loneliness) to 11 (severe loneliness) based on feelings such as, "I miss having people around."
Older adults born in later generations were actually less lonely, because they felt more in control and thus most likely managed their lives better, according to Bianca Suanet, PhD, of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and lead author of the study.
"In contrast to assuming a loneliness epidemic exists, we found that older adults who felt more in control and therefore managed certain aspects of their lives well, such as maintaining a positive attitude, and set goals, such as going to the gym, were less lonely," said Suanet. "Additionally, as is well-known in loneliness research, participants who had a significant other and/or larger and more diverse networks were also less lonely."
Suanet recommended that older adults take personal initiative to better nurture their social ties, such as making friends to help them overcome increasing loneliness as they age. Also, interventions to reduce loneliness should focus more on bolstering older adults' feelings of control, instead of only offering social activities.
"People must manage their social lives better today than ever before because traditional communities, which provided social outlets, such as neighborhoods, churches and extended families, have lost strength in recent decades," said Suanet. "Therefore, older adults today need to develop problem-solving and goal-setting skills to sustain satisfying relationships and to reduce loneliness."
Seniors may also want to make use of modern technology to maintain meaningful social connections, according to Hawkley.
"Video chatting platforms and the Internet may help preserve their social relationships," said Hawkley. "These tools can help older adults stay mobile and engaged in their communities."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191210111711.htm
Furry friends ease depression, loneliness after spousal loss
September 5, 2019
Science Daily/Florida State University
As Healthy Aging Month is underway this September, Florida State University researchers have found the companionship of a pet after the loss of a spouse can help reduce feelings of depression and loneliness in older adults.
The study, funded by The Gerontological Society of America and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition and published in The Gerontologist, examined depressive symptoms and loneliness among people age 50 and older who experienced the loss of a spouse through death or divorce.
"Increasingly, there's evidence that our social support networks are really beneficial for maintaining our mental health following stressful events, despite the devastation we experience in later life when we experience major social losses," said Dawn Carr, lead author and FSU associate professor of sociology. "I was interested in understanding alternatives to human networks for buffering the psychological consequences of spousal loss."
Carr and her team compared individuals who experienced the loss of a spouse to those who stayed continuously married. Then they explored whether the effects of spousal loss differed for those who had a pet at the time of the death or divorce.
They found all individuals who lost their spouse experienced higher levels of depression. However, people without a pet experienced more significant increases in depressive symptoms and higher loneliness than those who had pets. In fact, those who had a pet and experienced the death or divorce of their spouse were no lonelier than older adults who didn't experience one of those events.
"That's an important and impressive finding," Carr said. "Experiencing some depression after a loss is normal, but we usually are able to adjust over time to these losses. Persistent loneliness, on the other hand, is associated with greater incidents of mortality and faster onset of disability, which means it's especially bad for your health. Our findings suggest that pets could help individuals avoid the negative consequences of loneliness after a loss."
Carr's team used data from a sample of older adults who participated in an experimental survey about human animal interaction as part of the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study in 2012, and linked the data with additional data collected between 2008 and 2014. They identified pet owners as those participants who either had a cat or a dog.
"In everyday life, having a cat or dog may not make you healthier," Carr said. "But when facing a stressful event, we might lean on a pet for support. You can talk to your dog. They're not going to tell you you're a bad person, they're just going to love you. Or you can pet your cat, and it's calming."
The researchers noted that additional studies should be conducted to explain why having pets helps maintain mental health better. However, Carr suggested part of it may relate to whether you feel like you matter to someone.
"Oftentimes, the relationship we have with our spouse is our most intimate, where our sense of self is really embedded in that relationship," Carr said. "So, losing that sense of purpose and meaning in our lives that comes from that relationship can be really devastating. A pet might help offset some of those feelings. It makes sense to think, 'Well at least this pet still needs me. I can take care of it. I can love it and it appreciates me.' That ability to give back and give love is really pretty powerful."
The findings have potential consequences for social policies. For instance, it may be beneficial to include companion animals in the treatment of people residing in senior-living facilities, or reducing barriers to pet ownership in such settings.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905102549.htm