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Increased risk of mortality associated with social isolation in older men: only when feeling lonely? Results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2011

T. J. Holwerda ,
A. T. F. Beekman ,
D. J. H. Deeg ,
M. L. Stek ,
T. G. van Tilburg ,
P. J. Visser ,
B. Schmand ,
C. Jonker  and
R. A. Schoevers
T. J. Holwerda*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, ARKIN Institute of Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A. T. F. Beekman
Affiliation:
EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, INGEEST Institute of Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
D. J. H. Deeg
Affiliation:
EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
M. L. Stek
Affiliation:
EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, INGEEST Institute of Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
T. G. van Tilburg
Affiliation:
EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
P. J. Visser
Affiliation:
EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
B. Schmand
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
C. Jonker
Affiliation:
EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
R. A. Schoevers
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, ARKIN Institute of Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands EMGO Institute, Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam (VUMC), Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Amsterdam, The Netherlands Department of Psychiatry, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: T. J. Holwerda, M.D., Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum Amsterdam, AMTEL-LASA, room A 515, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Email: tj.holwerda@vumc.nl)
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Abstract

Background

Loneliness has a significant influence on both physical and mental health. Few studies have investigated the possible associations of loneliness with mortality risk, impact on men and women and whether this impact concerns the situation of being alone (social isolation), experiencing loneliness (feeling lonely) or both. The current study investigated whether social isolation and feelings of loneliness in older men and women were associated with increased mortality risk, controlling for depression and other potentially confounding factors.

Method

In our prospective cohort study of 4004 older persons aged 65–84 years with a 10-year follow-up of mortality data a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to test whether social isolation factors and feelings of loneliness predicted an increased risk of mortality, controlling for psychiatric disorders and medical conditions, cognitive functioning, functional status and sociodemographic factors.

Results

At 10 years follow-up, significantly more men than women with feelings of loneliness at baseline had died. After adjustment for explanatory variables including social isolation, the mortality hazard ratio for feelings of loneliness was 1.30 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.63] in men and 1.04 (95% CI 0.90–1.24) in women. No higher risk of mortality was found for social isolation.

Conclusions

Feelings of loneliness rather than social isolation factors were found to be a major risk factor for increasing mortality in older men. Developing a better understanding of the nature of this association may help us to improve quality of life and longevity, especially in older men.

Keywords

Feelings of lonelinesslonelinessmortalitysocial isolation
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 42 , Issue 4 , April 2012 , pp. 843 - 853
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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