Isolation, Loneliness May Raise Death Risk for Elderly

 Elderly people who are socially isolated and lonely may be at greater risk of early death.

Lack of social contact might be an even bigger risk factor than loneliness. Why, however, isolation is such a powerful predictor of death isn't clear.

Social contact is a fundamental aspect of human existence. The scientific evidence is that being socially isolated is probably bad for your health, and may lead to the development of serious illness and a reduced life span, said a researcher.

There is also research suggesting that loneliness has similar associations with poor health.

In many ways, social isolation and loneliness are two sides of the same coin. Social isolation indicates a lack of contact with friends, relatives and organizations, while loneliness is a subjective experience of lack of companionship and social contact.

The investigators found that social isolation was a more consistent predictor of not surviving than was loneliness, and was related to greater risk of dying even after age and background health were taken into account.

One needs to keep an eye on the social connections of older people, since maintaining social contacts among seniors and reducing isolation may be particularly important for their future survival.

Isolation is a significant factor in both reduced quality of life and mortality. It is a difficult, challenging problem.

People who had limited contact with family or friends or community were classified as socially isolated. The researchers used a questionnaire to assess loneliness, which was described in background information in the study as a person's "dissatisfaction with the frequency and closeness of their social contacts, or the discrepancy between the relationships they have and the relationships they would like to have."

During nearly eight years of follow-up, 918 people died and social isolation and loneliness both predicted an early death.

Social isolation, however, increased the risk of dying regardless of one's health and other factors, while loneliness increased the risk of dying only among those with underlying mental or physical problems, the researchers found.