Loneliness and Social Isolation in Old Age : : Correlates and Implications.

• Superior document: Aging and Mental Health Research Series
• Author: Hajek, André.
• TeilnehmendeR: Riedel-Heller, Steffi G.; König, Hans-Helmut.
• Place / Publishing House: Milton : : Taylor & Francis Group,, 2023.; {copy}2023.
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Aging and Mental Health Research Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (230 pages)

Table of Contents

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of illustrations -- Figures -- Tables -- List of contributors -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Part I: Concepts: Loneliness and social isolation -- Chapter 1: The concepts and measurement of social isolation and loneliness -- A brief description of the two concepts -- Social isolation -- The concept and definition -- The measurement of social isolation -- Approaches to the measurement of social isolation -- Conclusion -- Loneliness -- The concept and definition -- Discrepancy between realized and desired relationships -- Emotional and social loneliness -- Loneliness as a negative experience -- Contextual conceptualization of loneliness -- The measurement of loneliness -- Conclusion -- Is it desirable to use the two concepts separately? -- Differential outcomes of social isolation and loneliness -- Differential determinants of social isolation and loneliness -- Conclusion -- References -- Part II: Correlates of loneliness and social isolation in old age: Overview -- Chapter 2: Impacts of loneliness and social isolation on healthy longevity in older adults -- Definitions and prevalence of social isolation and loneliness -- Health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults -- Impacts of social isolation and loneliness on frailty -- Impacts of social isolation and loneliness on sarcopenia -- Impacts of social isolation and loneliness on dementia -- Impacts of social isolation and loneliness on cognitive impairment -- Impacts of social isolation and loneliness on depression -- Conclusions -- References -- Part III: Correlates of loneliness and social isolation in old age: Socioeconomic factors -- Chapter 3: Socioeconomic correlates of loneliness and social isolation in late life -- Introduction.

Socioeconomic correlates of loneliness and social isolation in theoretical frameworks -- Socioeconomic correlates and the identification of risk groups -- A detailed overview of individual socioeconomic correlates and geographical socioeconomic correlates of loneliness and social isolation -- Age -- Gender -- Relationship status und marital status -- Household composition and living situation -- Socioeconomic status -- Ethnic and sexual minority status -- Region and country of residence -- Summary and discussion -- Open questions and future research -- References -- Chapter 4: Social connection, aging and poverty -- Introduction -- Conceptual considerations -- Measurement and definitions -- Current findings -- COVID-19 considerations and future opportunities -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 5: Culture, social isolation and loneliness in later life -- Introduction -- Dominant Cultural Norms, Cultural Variation, and Social Isolation -- Cultural Identities, Culturally Defined Social Position, and Social Isolation -- Migration, Cultural Change, and Social Isolation -- Ageing in Place, Cultural Change, and Social Isolation -- Cultural Ideals, Relationship Evaluation, and Loneliness -- Conclusions -- References -- Part IV: Correlates of loneliness and social isolation in old age: Lifestyle-related factors -- Chapter 6: Loneliness and social isolation among older informal caregivers: A review of the evidence from longitudinal investigations -- Population ageing and long-term care needs -- Informal caregiver health and well-being -- Prospective evidence on loneliness and social isolation among informal caregivers -- Informal caregiving, loneliness, and social isolation -- Caregiver characteristics, loneliness, and social isolation -- Care recipient characteristics and caregiver loneliness and social isolation.

Caregiving intensity, loneliness, and social isolation -- Potential explanatory pathways -- Quality of findings, gaps in the evidence, and recommended future research -- References -- Chapter 7: Grandchild care and loneliness -- Background of intergenerational contract and lifestyle change of elders -- The form of grandchild care -- Theory for connecting grandchild care and elders' loneliness/social isolation -- Study overview -- The effect of grandparental care on loneliness -- Future directions -- Loneliness or depression -- Grandparental care on loneliness: sex matters? -- Does grandparental care moderate the negative impact of loneliness on health? -- References -- Chapter 8: Pet ownership, loneliness, and social isolation -- Loneliness and social isolation -- The "pet effect" -- Sex differences -- Types of companion animals -- Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic -- Conclusion -- Future research -- References -- Chapter 9: Online social media use, loneliness and perceived social isolation in later life: A short overview and some empirical evidence -- Introduction -- Social media use in later life -- Short overview: Social media use, loneliness, and perceived social isolation -- Our aim and importance -- Possible mechanisms -- Our empirical example: methods -- Sample: German Ageing Survey -- Dependent variables -- Independent variables -- Statistical analysis -- Results -- Sample characteristics -- Regression analysis -- Discussion -- Key findings -- Prior research and possible explanations -- Strengths and limitations of our empirical example -- Concluding remarks and guidance for further research -- References -- Chapter 10: Lifestyle-related factors in loneliness and social isolation of older persons: A Ghanaian study -- Background -- Data sources -- Definitions and operationalization -- Analysis plan -- Results.

Lifestyle, loneliness, and social isolation -- Strengths and limitations -- Conclusions and implications -- References -- Part V: Correlates of loneliness and social isolation in old age: Health-related factors -- Chapter 11: Health comparisons and loneliness and perceived social isolation: A brief overview and empirical evidence -- Introduction -- The underlying idea: Easterlin Paradox, income comparisons and well-being -- Health comparisons, loneliness, and perceived social isolation -- Our aim and relevance -- Possible mechanisms -- A practical example: methods -- Sample: German Ageing Survey -- Dependent variables -- Independent variables -- Statistical analysis -- Results -- Sample characteristics -- Regression analysis -- Discussion -- Key findings -- Prior research and possible explanations -- Strengths and limitations of our empirical example -- Concluding remarks and some suggestions for further research -- References -- Chapter 12: Obesity and loneliness in old age: Associations with weight stigma -- Increasing trends of obesity for the oldest old -- Obesity and psychological health - cause or effect? -- The impact of weight-related stigmatization on weight -- Weight stigma among the oldest old -- The complex association between weight stigma, loneliness, and age -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgment -- References -- Chapter 13: Frailty and loneliness/social isolation in late life -- The meaning of loneliness and social isolation -- Tools in the scientific literature that measure loneliness -- Tools in the scientific literature that measure social isolation -- Social isolation and loneliness as a risk factor for health -- Social isolation and loneliness in relation to frailty -- Social isolation and frailty -- Loneliness and frailty -- The current status with respect to social isolation, loneliness, and frailty.

The possible underlying mechanisms -- Summary and reflection -- Acknowledgment -- References -- Chapter 14: Multimorbidity, loneliness, and social isolation: A systematic review -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and Methods -- 2.1 Search Strategy and Selection Criteria -- 2.2 Data Extraction and Analysis -- 2.3 Quality Assessment -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Overview of Included Studies -- 3.2 Multimorbidity and Loneliness -- 3.3 Multimorbidity and Social Isolation -- 3.4 Multimorbidity and Social Frailty -- 3.5 Quality Assessment -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- Author Contributions -- Funding -- Conflicts of Interest -- References -- Chapter 15: Social isolation, loneliness, and mental health in old age -- Social isolation and loneliness -- Causes for social isolation and loneliness -- Social isolation and loneliness in old age around the world -- Social isolation and loneliness across Europe -- Social isolation and loneliness in the USA -- Social isolation, loneliness, and mental health outcomes in old age -- Social isolation, loneliness, and mortality -- Social isolation, loneliness, and affective disorders -- Social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive disorders -- Explanations for the negative effects on mental health -- Social isolation and loneliness in old age during the COVID-19 pandemic -- Media and technology during the COVID-19 pandemic -- Summary -- References -- Part VI: Policy implications and future of loneliness and social isolation -- Chapter 16: Public policy and the reduction and prevention of loneliness and social isolation -- Loneliness in older adults: heterogeneity at the individual and national levels -- National loneliness prevention and reduction policies and services -- Loneliness interventions and health outcomes -- Loneliness: a marker of an unhealthy society? -- Loneliness and public health -- Conclusion -- References.

Chapter 17: Loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.