Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Mehmet Kanbay, Cem Tanriover, Sidar Copur, Ibrahim B. B. Peltek, Ali Mutlu, Francesca Mallamaci, Carmine Zoccali
Summary: Social isolation and loneliness are often overlooked conditions that have a negative impact on quality of life, overall health, and mortality. This review discusses the health consequences of these conditions, including potential causes, pathophysiological processes, associations with non-communicable diseases, and effects on health-related behaviors. It also explores current and novel management strategies. Healthcare professionals should be knowledgeable about social isolation and loneliness, thoroughly assess patients, and provide education and treatment options through shared decision-making. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms and improve treatment strategies for these conditions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kimia Shafighi, Sylvia Villeneuve, Pedro Rosa Neto, AmanPreet Badhwar, Judes Poirier, Vaibhav Sharma, Yasser Iturria Medina, Patricia P. Silveira, Laurette Dube, David Glahn, Danilo Bzdok
Summary: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias pose a significant public health burden that will continue to increase due to longer life expectancy. Recent clinical evidence indicates that social isolation may accelerate the onset of dementia. Through the analysis of large population cohorts, we have identified strong associations between individuals' social capital, loneliness, and lack of social support with the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The quality and quantity of daily social interactions are deeply connected to key risk factors, highlighting the importance of social lifestyle determinants as potential targets for preventive clinical action.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Terry E. Goldberg, Jongwoo Choi, Seonjoo Lee, Barry Gurland, Davangere P. Devanand
Summary: Social and emotional isolation, as well as restriction of physical and instrumental activities, were found to be associated with cognitive decline and incident dementia in a longitudinal study. Notably, restriction had a more significant impact on memory decline, indicating potential warning signs of future cognitive deterioration and dementia.
INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOGERIATRICS
(2021)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chantal Huisman, Emelieke Huisman, Helianthe Kort
Summary: The need for care will increase in the coming years. Most people with a disability or old age receive support from an informal caregiver. Caring for a person with dementia can be difficult because of the BPSD. This scoping review investigates whether technology is available to support informal caregivers and reduce the care burden and social isolation for people with dementia. The findings show that there are technology applications that can help lower the care burden and improve sleep quality for informal caregivers.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Dona M. P. Jayakody, Justin Wishart, Inge Stegeman, Robert Eikelboom, Thomas C. Moyle, Jessica M. Yiannos, Jack James Goodman-Simpson, Osvaldo P. Almeida
Summary: Untreated hearing loss is associated with emotional loneliness and psychological discomfort in older adults. Depression is significantly correlated with social and emotional loneliness, satisfaction with social support, and social loneliness. Hearing health professionals should provide appropriate advice and support.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Barbra Teater, Jill M. Chonody, Nadia Davis
Summary: Loneliness has a significant impact on the health and well-being of older adults, with social isolation, phone contact, and quality of contact with others being key factors influencing loneliness and emotional loneliness. Therefore, prioritizing social connections and building social support are crucial, especially in the current context of social distancing.
SOCIAL WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Harleen Kaur Rai, David Kernaghan, Linda Schoonmade, Kieren J. Egan, Anne Margriet Pot
Summary: Digital technologies have the potential to improve the quality of life and reduce social isolation and loneliness for people with dementia. While limited, the growing evidence suggests the effectiveness of digital technologies in this area, although the studies conducted so far have been small-scale.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nine E. Wolters, Lynn Mobach, Viviana M. Wuthrich, Peter Vonk, Claudia M. Van der Heijde, Reinout W. Wiers, Ronald M. Rapee, Anke M. Klein
Summary: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with depression, general anxiety, and social anxiety. Social loneliness is mainly explained by social isolation, while emotional loneliness is most strongly explained by social anxiety and depression. General anxiety is related to loneliness through depression.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale, Htet Lin Htun, Jessie Hu, Lachlan L. Dalli, Michelle H. Lim, Barbara Barbosa Neves, J. R. Baker, Aung Zaw Zaw Phyo, Christopher M. Reid, Joanne Ryan, Alice J. Owen, Sharyn M. Fitzgerald, Rosanne Freak-Poli
Summary: Social health is closely related to cardiovascular disease, potentially mediated through its shared risk factors. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between social health and cardiovascular disease are poorly understood. Further research is needed to determine whether targeting certain social health constructs may directly improve cardiovascular disease risk factors.
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2023)
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Drew Eleanor Meehan, Anne Grunseit, Jenna Condie, Neta Hagani, Dafna Merom
Summary: There is a growing need to redefine loneliness and social isolation as public health issues and adopt a transdisciplinary, systems-based approach. Research has mainly focused on individual and interpersonal factors, while less attention has been given to community and societal influences. This scoping review identified evidence for the influence of community and societal factors on loneliness and social isolation in older people and highlighted the need for longitudinal studies to understand the mechanisms involved.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Soo-Bi Lee, Yerim Shin, Yebin Jeon, Seohyun Kim
Summary: This study examined the issue of social isolation among young adults, finding that factors such as age, unemployment, relative deprivation, depression, future outlook, self-esteem, social skills, experience of violence, and online activity were associated with social isolation. The results highlight the need for a customized support system at the national level to address social isolation among young adults and provide them with mental health services.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Mark Ward, Peter May, Charles Normand, Rose Anne Kenny, Anne Nolan
Summary: This study found that social asymmetry (the combination of loneliness and social isolation) was associated with an increased mortality risk among older adults, especially in the concordant high lonely and discordant robust groups.
Article
Psychiatry
Amy Hofman, Regina I. Overberg, Eric C. Schoenmakers, Marcel C. Adriaanse
Summary: The study found that social loneliness and emotional loneliness differ in risk factors, including socio-demographic, health indicators, and health behaviors. Female gender, younger age, having a job, and smoking were associated with lower social loneliness, while having a paid job and a lower body mass index were associated with lower emotional loneliness.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Xianghe Zhu, Yannick Stephan, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: Loneliness is associated with increased risk of multiple types of dementia, including all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.
INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOGERIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jana Lieberz, Simone G. Shamay-Tsoory, Nira Saporta, Timo Esser, Ekaterina Kuskova, Birgit Stoffel-Wagner, Rene Hurlemann, Dirk Scheele
Summary: Loneliness is associated with decreased trust, larger social distances, and lower trustworthiness. Lonely individuals show reduced limbic and striatal activation, as well as weakened functional connectivity between the anterior insula and occipitoparietal regions during initial trust decisions.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Yannick Stephan, Amanda A. Sesker, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: The study found that a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life is associated with a lower risk of dementia. The researchers examined data from the UK Biobank and conducted a meta-analysis of published studies. The results showed that for every one-point higher feeling of meaning, there was a 35% decreased risk of all-cause dementia. This association was not influenced by age, sex, education, or genetic risk factors.
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yannick Stephan, Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This study examines the mediating role of blood biomarkers in the association between subjective aging and memory. The results suggest that older subjective age and negative self-perceptions of aging are related to worse memory, and this relationship can be partially explained by specific blood biomarkers.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Angelina R. Sutin, Justin Brown, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Yannick Stephan, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This research analyzed multiple large-scale studies to evaluate the association between personality and change in episodic memory over time. The results showed that low emotional stability and low conscientiousness were associated with declines in memory, while high openness and conscientiousness were associated with better memory performance.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Yannick Stephan, Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This study found that older subjective age and negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers, which are mediated by disease burden and physical inactivity. The link between subjective aging and inflammation is relatively independent from chronological age.
Article
Gerontology
Tiia Kekalainen, Martina Luchetti, Angelina Sutin, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This study investigated the predictive role of physical and cognitive functioning on developing difficulties in daily activities, and whether country-level factors moderated these associations. The results showed that higher grip strength was associated with a lower risk of developing limitations in both basic and instrumental activities. Similar associations were found for peak flow, word recall, and temporal orientation. These associations were generally strong and significant across most countries, with some variations in countries with lower GDP and service coverage.
JOURNAL OF AGING AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Social
Angelina R. Sutin, Damaris Aschwanden, Martina Luchetti, Yannick Stephan, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: Having a greater sense of purpose in life is associated with better cognitive health and fewer cognitive failures in adults across different age groups, genders, races, and education levels. This association is especially strong among relatively older adults and remains significant even after accounting for depressed affect. Purpose may serve as a psychological resource that supports subjective cognition in older adults.
PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Xianghe Zhu, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Amanda A. A. Sesker, Yannick Stephan, Angelina R. R. Sutin, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This study examined the associations between subjective well-being and risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia. The results showed that general happiness, health and family satisfaction, and satisfaction breadth were associated with lower risk of all-cause dementia. Health satisfaction and the breadth of satisfaction were also associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
JOURNAL OF HAPPINESS STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Social
Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Amanda A. Sesker, Xianghe Zhu, Yannick Stephan, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: Using a diverse, age-stratified sample, this study explores the association between personality traits and cognitive health measures, and the potential moderating effects of age, race, and ethnicity. The findings reveal that higher levels of openness and conscientiousness are linked to better cognitive performance and subjective memory, while higher neuroticism is associated with slower processing speed and worse subjective memory. These associations are generally consistent across different demographic groups. The facet-level analyses further identify specific facets within each domain that are most strongly associated with cognitive function.
JOURNAL OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yannick Stephan, Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Vincent Cabibel, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the pathways linking personality to cognition and found that measures of physical performance mediated the association between personality traits and cognitive measures. The study revealed that slower gait speed partially mediated the association between higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness, and worse cognitive scores. Slower gait speed also partially mediated the association between openness and both objective and subjective memory. There was less consistent evidence for the mediating role of peak expiratory flow and grip strength. This study advances knowledge on the relationship between personality and cognition in older adults and supports the hypothesis that personality traits associated with better physical function can contribute to healthy cognitive aging.
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Angelina R. Sutin, Yannick Stephan, Martina Luchetti, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: This study examines the association between purpose in life and markers of immunity and inflammation, as well as tests the mediators between purpose and episodic memory. The results demonstrate that higher purpose in life is associated with lower levels of neutrophil counts, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune inflammation index. Lower levels of neutrophils, Interleukin-6, and soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 also mediate the association between purpose and episodic memory.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Angelina R. Sutin, Yannick Stephan, Martina Luchetti, Damaris Aschwanden, Amanda A. Sesker, Xianghe Zhu, Antonio Terracciano
Summary: The study found that having a sense of purpose in life is associated with healthier cognitive outcomes, including lower risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study also examined the association between purpose and beliefs and knowledge of AD. The results showed that purpose in life was associated with lower perceived threat of AD and a stronger belief in modifiable factors reducing risk, but unrelated to beliefs about genetics or stress, or knowledge of AD.
ARCHIVES OF CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
