Research & News: Loneliness — It’s a Thing

Several articles reporting on studies that delve into the health effects of loneliness and social isolation (not always connected, by the way) have  appeared in the media. In the New York Times, Jane E. Brody overviewed and updated reports from institutions around the country. 

Excerpt: “Being unmarried is a significant risk,” Dr. Holt-Lunstad [psychologist-researcher from Brigham Young University] said, “but not all marriages are happy ones. We have to consider the quality of relationships, not simply their existence or quantity.”

Paul Rogers, New York Times, Dec. 11, 2017

Yale Professor Marissa King notes that companionship has a lot of interpretations — especially when dementia is involved — but some level of human contact seems to be fundamental. Read the full article in Yale Insights Magazine.

Forbes Magazine: “Loneliness Might be a Bigger Health Risk than Smoking or Obesity”

National Institutes of Health – “Loneliness as a Public Health Issue: The Impact of Loneliness on Health Care Utilization Among Older Adults”

New York Times – “Loneliness Can Be Deadly for Elders; Friends are the Antidote”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.