💥 Potential Impact
Older adults who spend over 75% of time alone are much more likely to feel lonely, suggesting interventions to reduce isolation may be especially helpful for seniors 👵👴.
🌟 Introduction
Loneliness is a major public health issue that can have serious consequences for mental and physical health.
But how closely related is feeling lonely to actually spending time alone?
This research examined the connection between self-reported loneliness and proportion of time spent alone measured objectively using audio recordings of daily life.
🧩 Key Terms Explained
- Loneliness – The distressing feeling of being alone or disconnected from others. It is subjective and involves perceived deficits in relationships.
- Social isolation – The objective state of having minimal social contact or interactions with others. It can be quantitatively measured.
- Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) – A device participants wore that unobtrusively sampled ambient sounds to estimate time spent alone based on human coding of audio snippets.
📈 Recommendation
For older adults especially, maintaining social connections and minimizing time spent alone may help reduce feelings of loneliness.
Programs that facilitate social interaction for seniors could be beneficial.
🎓 Findings
- People who were single spent 8% more time alone on average. This amounted to about 1 hour and 17 minutes more time alone per day.
- Each additional decade of age was associated with 3% more time spent alone for single people, or about 30 extra minutes alone.
- Older single adults spent the highest proportion of time alone compared to partnered seniors or younger singles.
- Being single was linked to more loneliness, and this association strengthened with age. Partnered seniors were the least lonely group.
- Spending over 75% of time alone was associated with the highest loneliness scores.
- For older adults, more time alone was strongly associated with greater loneliness. Under age 40, time alone and loneliness were unrelated.
🧠 Why it matters
As people age, their social circles and opportunities often shrink due to retirement, bereavement, or mobility issues.
Older adults may have particular difficulty replacing lost connections.
Spending more time alone leaves them at risk of distressing feelings of loneliness.
✋ Limitations
- The study relied on self-report measures of loneliness and subjective experiences of time spent alone, which may be influenced by individual biases and perceptions.
- Causality cannot be determined from this cross-sectional data. We cannot confirm if more time alone increases loneliness, or if lonelier people simply spend more time alone.
- The findings may not generalize to all populations, as the study included participants from diverse community samples.
🌍 Examples
- Programs like friendly visitor services, senior centers, adult day care, and shared housing arrangements can reduce social isolation and loneliness in older adults.
- Employers can promote social connections among employees through team-building activities, social events, or mentorship programs to foster a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of loneliness in the workplace.
⚡ How to Reduce Loneliness
- Seniors should proactively maintain social connections by calling or visiting friends and family regularly.
- Volunteering and community involvement can provide meaningful social contact. Join a club or activity group.
- Seek services like friendly visits, shared housing, or senior centers. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
- If mobility is an issue, stay social through phone calls, video chats, online groups, or streaming events.
- Speak to a doctor if loneliness persists and affects daily functioning. Counseling may help address contributing factors.
Behind the Research
🔬 Study type: Correlational using self-reports and objective measurement of time spent alone in daily life via the EAR.
🔗 Link to the original research paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656623000880
👩🔬👨🔬 Authors of the discovery: Danvers, Efinger, Mehl, Helm, Raison, Polsinelli, Moseley, Sbarra
❓ FAQs
Q: Why are older adults more affected by time spent alone?
- A: As people age, forming new relationships gets harder due to reduced mobility, retirement, or bereavement. Older adults may feel a greater sense of permanent loss when relationships end.
Q: Could loneliness cause more social isolation?
- A: Possibly. Feeling lonely may lead people to withdraw socially. But the design of this study cannot prove causation.
Q: How can I evaluate programs to reduce loneliness?
- A: Look for evidence-based programs shown to increase social contact, improve relationships, or directly reduce loneliness. Consumer reviews can help identify quality services. (Hint: Search “senior care programs reviews”)
Q: What if my loved one refuses social activities?
- A: Emphasize the benefits and make a personal connection. Find activities matching their interests. Offer to accompany them initially until they adjust. Consult their doctor if resistance persists.
📚 References
Danvers, Alexander & Efinger, Liliane & Mehl, Matthias & Helm, Peter & Raison, Charles & Polsinelli, Angelina & Moseley, Suzanne & Sbarra, David. (2023). Loneliness and Time Alone in Everyday Life:A Descriptive-Exploratory Study of Subjective and Objective Social Isolation. Journal of Research in Personality. 107. 104426. 10.1016/j.jrp.2023.104426.
🌟 Final Note
Loneliness clearly becomes a bigger risk factor for older adults who spend more time alone. But proactive social engagement, family support, and senior-friendly programs can make a difference. Staying connected to others provides meaning and value at any age. What steps can you take today to nourish your social wellbeing?
🔍 Study Summary Table
| Key Finding | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Being single associated with 8% more time alone | Programs to expand social contact may especially benefit singles |
| Each decade of age linked to 3% more time alone for singles | Oldest seniors most vulnerable to isolation |
| Over 75% time alone had highest loneliness | Targeted interventions for very isolated elderly |
| Loneliness-isolation link stronger in seniors | Need to reduce isolation greater for older adults |
