A recent study has highlighted a concerning link between loneliness experienced at various times in life and an increased risk of serious illness and death in later years.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this research emphasizes that repeated feelings of loneliness throughout one’s life can be a significant risk factor for higher mortality.
Lindsay Kobayashi, a professor of epidemiology and global health at the University of Michigan, stresses the importance of understanding cumulative loneliness. This approach is relatively new in the study of loneliness and its impacts.
The research team analyzed data from over 9,000 people aged 50 and older, using the US Health and Retirement Study, a leading source of aging-related data.
The data, spanning from 1996 to 2004, categorized loneliness into four levels: never, once, twice, or three or more times.
This information was then compared with the participants’ health, lifestyle, and social isolation levels in 1996, along with their mortality risk up to 2019.
The findings were striking. There were 106 extra deaths associated with feeling lonely once, 202 extra deaths with feeling lonely twice, and 288 extra deaths with feeling lonely three or more times over the eight-year period.
These numbers were unexpectedly high and alarming, considering that loneliness is a preventable condition.
Kobayashi emphasizes that loneliness changes over time, making it vital to study its cumulative effects. The high number of deaths linked to loneliness points to the need for effective interventions.
With the ongoing decline in life expectancy in the US and loneliness being recognized as a global health crisis by authorities like the US Surgeon General and the World Health Organization, addressing loneliness is more crucial than ever.
Kobayashi notes the urgency in reducing loneliness at a societal level, not only for older adults but also for younger individuals. As people age and transition out of significant social roles, such as leaving the workforce, they often face increased loneliness.
Kobayashi clarifies that living alone or enjoying solitude isn’t the same as feeling lonely. It’s the sense of needing social interaction and purpose, and not having these needs met, that negatively impacts health.
As people age, maintaining connections with family and finding meaningful roles is vital.
To tackle this issue, Kobayashi suggests several interventions, such as creating age-friendly communities and cities, and incorporating the needs of older people into urban planning.
This involves a cultural shift in how older people are perceived and valued in society. Policy changes to extend working life, especially for the aging Baby Boomer generation, could also be beneficial.
Kobayashi concludes that these adaptations can foster a sense of community, which has become increasingly important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The issue of loneliness is far-reaching, affecting various aspects of society, and addressing it is essential for the well-being of all.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that ultra-processed foods may make you feel depressed, and extra-virgin olive oil could reduce depression symptoms.
The research findings can be found in PNAS.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
