What is Loneliness and Social Isolation?
Loneliness and social isolation
are in direct contrast to the basic human need for love and belonging.
Social isolation effects everyone at any age but continues to become more
prevalent in older age and can be detrimental to both physical and mental
health.
All over the globe, social isolation rates continue to increase, particularly
in older adults. According to a recent AARP report, social isolation and
loneliness is present in more than 8 million people in America over the age of
50. According to the study, 35% of respondents said they were isolated
and 45% responded they were lonely for 6 or more years (AARP, 2017).
Loneliness and social isolation is complex to say the least. Regardless
of the definition, social isolation and loneliness can contribute to the
deterioration of overall physical and mental health. Those 60 and older
who identify themselves as being lonely were 59% more likely to experience a decline
in their ability to perform basic activities of daily living. (Perissinotto et
al., 2012)
Some of the most staggering data indicates that loneliness was as robust
predictor of early death as alcoholism, smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and
stronger predictor than obesity or a sedentary lifestyle. (AARP, 2017)
Identifying Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older adults
There is no direct or easy way to address social isolation
and loneliness. It is important to understand the various factors older adults
face that puts them at risk for loneliness. Risk factors can be grouped
into these categories –
Events – exp. Loss of a spouse/partner, close friend, living
alone, life transition
Physical – exp. Sensory or mobility losses or chronic illness
Psychological – exp. Mental health problems ie. Depression,
dementia, etc.
Socio-economic – exp. Low income, limited financial resources, rural
living
Professionals working with older adults need to be aware of these factors and be able to identify loneliness and social isolation even in healthy clients to slow the progression of social disconnect. Screening questionnaires are very important in identifying these factors. The UCLA loneliness Scale and DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale are examples of questionnaires for loneliness and can be found here –
UCLA Loneliness Scale https://backend.fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/stories/pdf/selfmeasures/Self_Measures_for_Loneliness_and_Interpersonal_Problems_UCLA_LONELINESS.pdf
DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale https://connectingedmontonseniors.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/dejong_gierveld_loneliness_scale.pdf
Creative and Artful Engagement
Participating in creative and
artful activities can offer older adults more opportunities to become more
active within their community and decrease social isolation and
loneliness. Engaging in creative activities have been shown to stabilize
heart rate, regulate hormone levels, and increase hormones associated with
feeling good. In addition, decreases in pain level, improved mood,
improved physical functioning, and positive neurological changes found when
older adults participate in various art forms (Cohen 2000).
Engaging individuals in the arts throughout the life course may serve as
primary prevention tool in combating and preventing social isolation and
loneliness before negative health effects can take hold.
Information on the Author
Tobi Abramson, PhD, has worked for the past 30 years as a licensed psychologist to improve the mental health of older adults and their families. She is currently the Director of Geriatric Mental Health at the New York City Department for the Aging and a Fellow of The New York Academy of Medicine and consults, conducts training’s, and writes about geriatric mental health.
Sources
J. De Jong Gierveld and T. Van Tilburg, Research on Aging 2006, 28, 582-598.
AARP Foundation (2012). Framework for isolation in adults over 50. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2012_PDFs/AARP-Foundation-Isolation-Framework-Report.pdf
AARP Foundation (2017). A profile of social connectedness in olderadults. Retrieved from http://www.aarp.org
Cohen, G. D. (2000). The Creative Age. HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY.
Penninx, B.W., Guralnik, J.M., Ferrucci, L., Simonsick, E.M., Deeg, D.J., & Wallace, R.B. (1998). Depressive symptoms and physical decline in community-dwelling older persons. JAMA, 279(21), 1720-1726.
Perissinotto, C. M., Stijaci Cenzer, I., & Covinsky, K. E. (2012). Loneliness in older persons: A predictor of functional decline and death. Arch Intern Med, 172(14), 1078-1083/
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www.csa.us
