The feeling of loneliness increases with age

Studies reveal that feelings of loneliness tend to increase with age.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG (MYE)

A bookseller rests in front of a row of closed book stalls in the Pasar Senen Terminal area, Jakarta, Sunday (31/1/2021).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — A study revealed that feelings of loneliness in someone will increase as they age. The study also found that the lowest levels of loneliness are experienced in middle adulthood.

The study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University was published in the journal Psychological Science on April 30 2024. The study was conducted longitudinally in nine research reports from several countries, such as England, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Australia.

The study's author, who is also a social medicine professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Eileen Graham, stated that loneliness in adulthood can be described as a U-shaped curve. The level of loneliness is higher in young and older adults, while the lowest level of loneliness is found in middle-aged adults.

Also read: Loneliness Increases the Risk of Declining Health in Elderly People

“What is surprising is how consistent the feeling of loneliness increases in old age. There is a lot of evidence linking loneliness to poor health. We want to better understand who is lonely and why people become lonelier as they age so that we can find ways to reduce it,” he said as quoted in ScienceDaily, Tuesday (30/4/2024).

The study has identified risk factors that can increase one's sense of loneliness. These factors include social isolation or restriction, gender, level of education, and physical health disorders.

It is mentioned that the level of loneliness is higher among women, with a high level of social isolation, lack of education, low income, and functional limitations in the environment. In addition, among women who are divorced or widowed, smokers, and have poor health, both physically and mentally.

Also read: Most Parents Experience Loneliness and Fatigue

According to officials from the US Health Agency (US Surgeon General), a lack of connection or relationship with the environment can increase premature deaths equivalent to the impact of smoking every day. Therefore, efforts to address the loneliness epidemic in the US are increasingly being called for.

In such conditions, Eileen stated that intervention is needed to reduce social disparity in order to reduce the impact of loneliness, especially in older adults.

Middle adulthood

Eileen stated that, although the study did not specifically examine the causes of middle-aged adults experiencing the lowest levels of loneliness, it could be due to the many demands experienced at that age. Middle-aged people tend to interact more socially, such as getting married, working, making friends, and gathering with family.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

The residents of the nursing home slept on wheelchairs while doing activities outside at the Pangayoman Nursing Home in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday (27/10/2022).

"However, the relationship between social interaction and loneliness is very complex. A person can engage in many social interactions and still feel lonely, or on the other hand, there are people who are relatively socially isolated but do not feel lonely," he said.

Co-author and assistant professor psychology from the University of California, Tomiko Yoneda, said, as people get older and develop from young adulthood to middle adulthood, a person will start to become more established. They will also strengthen friendship groups, social networks, and life partners.

Married people tend to be less lonely.

“We prove that married people tend to be less lonely. So, unmarried older people can try to find meaningful social contacts that might help reduce the persistent risk of loneliness,” he said.

Prior to this, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared loneliness as a global health threat. The WHO has also established an international commission to address this issue.

AP/EUGENE HOSHIKO

Someone was sitting alone in the middle of the garden.

The general surgeon who led the commission, Vivek Murthy, stated that the issue of loneliness has been on the rise after the Covid-19 pandemic, which has halted various economic and social activities. Additionally, awareness of the issue of loneliness has also improved recently.

Also read: The Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in the Crowd

“The problem (loneliness) is a global public health problem that affects aspects of health, welfare and development. "Social isolation knows no age or boundaries," he said in The Guardian in mid-November 2023.