The Relationship between Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63331/upasw/31/20Keywords:
loneliness, depression, elderly people, mental healthAbstract
In contemporary societies, characterised by an increasing average lifespan, the phenomena of loneliness and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among the elderly population have emerged as topics of significant interest. This paper aimed to explore the relationship between loneliness and depressive manifestations in older individuals through a longitudinal approach. A comprehensive review of the existing literature led to the selection of ten significant studies, whose findings reveal a consistent and significant association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. This correlation highlights the need for complex research designs incorporating moderating variables to deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, future investigations should focus on identifying and analysing the impact of moderating variables on the dynamics of the relationship between loneliness and depression, to develop therapeutic interventions tailored to the specific needs of the elderly population.
References
Blazer, D. G. „Depression in Late Life: Review and Commentary.” The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 58, nr. 3 (2003): 249–65. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/58.3.m249.
Bowling, A. P., Edelmann, R. J., Leaver, J., și Hoekel, T. „Loneliness, Mobility, Well-Being and Social Support in a Sample of Over 85 Year Olds.” Personality and Individual Differences 10, nr. 11 (1989): 1189–1192.
Cacioppo, John T., Louise C. Hawkley, și Richard A. Thisted. „Perceived Social Isolation Makes Me Sad: 5-Year Cross-Lagged Analyses of Loneliness and Depressive Symptomatology in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study.” Psychology and Aging 25, nr. 2 (2010): 453–463. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017216.
Cacioppo, J. T., M. E. Hughes, L. J. Waite, L. C. Hawkley, și R. A. Thisted. „Loneliness as a Specific Risk Factor for Depressive Symptoms: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses.” Psychology and Aging 21, nr. 1 (2006): 140–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.21.1.140.
Cacioppo, S., Grippo, A. J., London, S., Goossens, L., și J. T. Cacioppo. „Loneliness: Clinical Import and Interventions.” Perspectives on Psychological Science: A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science 10, nr. 2 (2015): 238–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615570616.
Cacioppo, John T., Louise C. Hawkley, John M. Ernst, Mark Burleson, Gregory G. Berntson, Behzad Nouriani, et al. „Loneliness within a Nomological Net: An Evolutionary Perspective.” Journal of Research in Personality 40, no. 6 (2006): 1054–85.
Cohen-Mansfield, J., Hazan, H., Lerman, Y., și Shalom, V. „Correlates and Predictors of Loneliness in Older Adults: A Review of Quantitative Results Informed by Qualitative Insights.” International Psychogeriatrics 28, nr. 4 (2016): 557–576. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610215001532.
Courtin, E., și Knapp, M. „Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health in Old Age: A Scoping Review.” Health & Social Care in the Community 25, nr. 3 (2017): 799–812. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12311.
Dahlberg, L., Andersson, L., McKee, K. J., și Lennartsson, C. „Predictors of Loneliness among Older Women and Men in Sweden: A National Longitudinal Study.” Aging & Mental Health 19, nr. 5 (2015): 409–417. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.944091.
Domènech-Abella, J., Mundó, J., Haro, J. M., și Rubio-Valera, M. „Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness and Social Network in the Elderly: Longitudinal Associations from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).” Journal of Affective Disorders 246 (2019): 82–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.043.
Dykstra, P. A. „Older Adult Loneliness: Myths and Realities.” European Journal of Ageing 6, no. 2 (2009): 91–100.
Fiske, Amy, Jessica L. Wetherell, și Mary Gatz. „Depression in Older Adults.” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology 5 (2009): 363–89. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.032408.153621.
Haigh, E. A. P., O. E. Bogucki, S. T. Sigmon, și D. G. Blazer. „Depression Among Older Adults: A 20-Year Update on Five Common Myths and Misconceptions.” The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 26, nr. 1 (2018): 107–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2017.06.011.
Hawkley, L. C. “Loneliness and Health.” Nature Reviews Disease Primers 8 (2022): 22. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-022-00355-9.
Heikkinen, R. L., și Kauppinen, M. „Depressive Symptoms in Late Life: A 10-Year Follow-Up.” Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 38, nr. 3 (2004): 239–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2003.10.004.
Kennedy, G. J. „The epidemiology of late-life depression.” În Suicide and depression in late life: Critical issues in treatment, research, and public policy, editat de G. J. Kennedy, 23–37. John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
Krause, M., și A. Behn. „Depression and personality dysfunction: Towards the understanding of complex depression.” În Depression and Personality Dysfunction: An Integrative Functional Domains Perspective, editat de G. de la Parra, P. Dagnino și A. Behn, 1–13. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2021.
Lai, E. T. C., S. C. Ho, și J. Woo. „Social isolation, socioeconomic status, and development of functional impairments in Chinese older adults aged 70 years and over: a cohort study.” Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 35, nr. 1 (2023): 155–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-022-02259-w.
Margrain, T. H., și M. Boulton. „Sensory Impairment.” În The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing, editat de M. L. Johnson, V. L. Benston, P. G. Coleman și T. B. L. Kirkwood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Milaneschi, Yuri, Femke Lamers, Michael Berk, și Brenda W. J. H. Penninx. „Depression Heterogeneity and Its Biological Underpinnings: Toward Immunometabolic Depression.” Biological Psychiatry 88, nr. 5 (2020): 369–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.01.014.
Mushtaq, R., S. Shoib, T. Shah, și S. Mushtaq. „Relationship between loneliness, psychiatric disorders and physical health? A review on the psychological aspects of loneliness.” Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research 8, nr. 9 (2014): WE01–WE4.
Ó Luanaigh, C., și B. A. Lawlor. „Loneliness and the Health of Older People.” International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: A Journal of the Psychiatry of Late Life and Allied Science 23, nr. 12 (2008): 1213–1221.
O'Luanaigh, C., H. O'Connell, A. V. Chin, F. Hamilton, R. Coen, C. Walsh, J. B. Walsh, D. Caokley, C. Cunningham, și B. A. Lawlor. „Loneliness and cognition in older people: the Dublin Healthy Ageing study.” Aging & Mental Health 16, nr. 3 (2012): 347–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2011.628977.
Oliveira, L. M. de, G. G. de Abrantes, G. da S. Ribeiro, N. M. Cunha, M. de L. de F. Pontes, și S. C. Vasconcelos. „Loneliness in senescence and its relationship with depressive symptoms: an integrative review.” Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia 22, nr. 6 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-22562019022.190241.
Perlman, Daniel, and Letitia Anne Peplau. “Towards a Social Psychology of Loneliness.” In Personal Relationships: Personal Relationships in Disorder, edited by Steve Duck and Rodney Gilmour, 31–56. London: Academic Press, 1981.
Remes, Olli, João F. Mendes, și Philip Templeton. „Biological, Psychological, and Social Determinants of Depression: A Review of Recent Literature.” Brain Sciences 11, nr. 12 (2021): 1633. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121633.
Richards, Derek. „Prevalence and Clinical Course of Depression: A Review.” Clinical Psychology Review 31, nr. 7 (2011): 1117–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.07.004.
Santini, Z. I., A. Koyanagi, S. Tyrovolas, C. Mason, și J. M. Haro. „The Association between Social Relationships and Depression: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Affective Disorders 175 (2015): 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.12.049.
Singh-Manoux, A., A. Dugravot, A. Fournier, J. Abell, K. Ebmeier, M. Kivimäki, și S. Sabia. „Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms Before Diagnosis of Dementia: A 28-Year Follow-up Study.” JAMA Psychiatry 74, nr. 7 (2017): 712–18. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0660.
Speck, C. E., W. A. Kukull, D. E. Brenner, J. D. Bowen, W. C. McCormick, L. Teri, M. L. Pfanschmidt, J. D. Thompson, și E. B. Larson. „History of Depression as a Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease.” Epidemiology 6, nr. 4 (1995): 366–69. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001648-199507000-00006.
Stek, M. L., Vinkers, D. J., Gussekloo, J., Beekman, A. T., van der Mast, R. C., și R. G. Westendorp. „Is Depression in Old Age Fatal Only When People Feel Lonely?” The American Journal of Psychiatry 162, nr. 1 (2005): 178–180. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.1.178.
Skoog, I. „Psychiatric Disorders in the Elderly.” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie 56, nr. 7 (2011): 387–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371105600702.
Weiss, Robert S. Loneliness: The Experience of Emotional and Social Isolation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1974.
Yang, Keming, and Christina Victor. “Age and Loneliness in 25 European Nations.” Ageing and Society 31, no. 8 (2011): 1368–88. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X1000139X.
Patel, Sanjay S., și Anna Clark-Ginsberg. „Incorporating Issues of Elderly Loneliness into the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Public Health Response.” Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 14, nr. 3 (2020): e13–e14. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2020.145.
Pinquart, Markus, and Sören Sörensen. “Influences of Socioeconomic Status, Social Network, and Competence on Subjective Well-Being in Later Life: A Meta-Analysis.” Psychology and Aging 15, no. 2 (2000): 187–224. https://doi.org/10.1037//0882-7974.15.2.187.
Prince, M. J., R. H. Harwood, R. A. Blizard, A. Thomas, și A. H. Mann. „Social support deficits, loneliness and life events as risk factors for depression in old age. The Gospel Oak Project VI.” Psychological Medicine 27, nr. 2 (1997): 323–32. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291796004485.
Solmi, M., N. Veronese, D. Galvano ș.a. „Factors Associated With Loneliness: An Umbrella Review Of Observational Studies.” Journal of Affective Disorders 271 (2020): 131–38.
Tiikkainen, P., și Heikkinen, R. L. „Associations between Loneliness, Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Togetherness in Older People.” Aging & Mental Health 9, nr. 6 (2005): 526–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860500193138.
Wong, P. T. „Personal Meaning and Successful Aging.” Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne 30, nr. 3 (1989): 516–525.
Tripathi, M., și H. S. Asthana. „Loneliness Self Efficacy and Mental Health Among Elderly.” International Journal of Psychosocial Research 4 (2015): 101–104.
Stickley, Andrew, și Ai Koyanagi. „Physical Multimorbidity and Loneliness: A Population-Based Study.” PloS One 13, nr. 1 (2018): e0191651. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191651.
Segel-Karpas, D., Ayalon, L., și Lachman, M. E. „Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms: The Moderating Role of the Transition into Retirement.” Aging & Mental Health 22, nr. 1 (2018): 135–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2016.1226770.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Anuarul Universitatii "Petre Andrei" din Iasi & POLIS BOOKS Publishing House
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant this journal right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work, with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as an earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
