Risk factors and mediating pathways of loneliness and social support in community-dwelling older adults

Abstract

These results characterise the biopsychosocial risk factors of emotional loneliness, social loneliness and social support and identify key pathways by which social support influences emotional and social loneliness. These findings highlight issues with the potential for consideration in the development of targeted interventions.

Loneliness and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Findings From the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

“…However, the significant direct effect of cognition on loneliness is inconsistent with some previous studies reporting that discrete cognitive domains, not global cognitive function, predicted loneliness (O'Luanaigh et al, 2012;Schnittger et al, 2012) and that baseline cognition was not associated with later loneliness (Wilson et al, 2007). Besides less engagement in social activities due to diminished cognition, we also consider reduced social network size resulting from cognitive impairment as an alternative explanation for this reverse relationship (Alspach, 2013;Cacioppo, Fowler, & Christakis, 2009).…”

“…Given that some specific cognitive domains (i.e., executive function, verbal fluency, and memory) were significantly correlated with loneliness (O'Luanaigh et al, 2012;Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012), it is more likely that loneliness and cognition have mutual effects on each other. Other indirect evidence includes the bidirectional relationships between cognitive function and depression (Yoon & Brown, 2014), and depression and loneliness (Luo et al, 2012), suggesting that cognition and loneliness may be linked by the mediator: depression.…”

Loneliness among men and women – a five-year follow-up study

“…Results from cross-sectional studies indicate that loneliness is clearly related to factors regarding social contacts and family ties, such as living alone (Havens, Hall, Sylvestre, & Jivan, 2004 Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012;Sundstr€ om, Fransson, Malmberg, & Davey, 2009;Theeke, 2009) and not being married (Cohen-Mansfield et al, 2009;Pinquart, 2003;Pinquart & S€ orensen, 2001;Stack, 1998;Theeke, 2009;Victor, Scambler, et al, 2005;Victor & Yang, 2012).…”

Identifying the enablers and barriers to community participation amongst older adults

“…Social isolation has been found to negatively influence quality of life and to impede active ageing in older adults by contributing to poor physical and mental health status (Coyle & Dugan, 2012;Dickens et al, 2011;Hawthorne, 2008;Howat, Iredell, Grenade, Nedwetzky, & Collins, 2004;Nicholson, 2012;Pettigrew, Donovan, Boldy, & Newton, 2014;Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012). It has also been linked to poor diet, nutrition and alcohol-related problems (Pettigrew, Donovan, Boldy, & Newton, 2014;Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012), and has been correlated with increases in falls, hospital admissions and re-admissions (Pettigrew, Donovan, Boldy, & Newton, 2014;Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012), and lower cognitive functioning (Boss, Kang, & Branson, 2015).…”

“…It has also been linked to poor diet, nutrition and alcohol-related problems (Pettigrew, Donovan, Boldy, & Newton, 2014;Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012), and has been correlated with increases in falls, hospital admissions and re-admissions (Pettigrew, Donovan, Boldy, & Newton, 2014;Schnittger, Wherton, Prendergast, & Lawlor, 2012), and lower cognitive functioning (Boss, Kang, & Branson, 2015).…”