Social Support and Depression among Older Adults Living Alone: The Importance of Friends Within and Outside of a Retirement Community

Social Work ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Potts
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Retirement Community ◽  
Living Alone

scholarly journals Loneliness, Social Support, and Psychological Wellbeing Among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1046-1046
Author(s):  
Poshan Dahal ◽  
Eva Kahana ◽  
Tirth Bhatta ◽  
Polina Ermoshkina
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Retirement Community ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Negative Affects ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

Abstract Social support in old age has been linked to psychological wellbeing outcomes, such as depressive symptoms. However, insufficient attention has been paid to implications of social support for different domains of psychological wellbeing. In this study, we explored these associations among 797 older adults (mean age = 78.61 years) living in a retirement community in Florida from the ECRC study. Our findings show that measures of social support and connectedness have varying influences on psychological wellbeing. Loneliness was associated with lower life satisfaction (b=- -1.12, p<0.001) and higher depressive symptoms (b=3.52, p<0.001). Higher self-rated social support was associated with higher life satisfaction (b= 1.66, p<0.001) but did not predict depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms, however, were significantly higher (b=-1.45) among individuals who reported that they don’t have anyone who they can turn to if they feel lonely and want to talk. Feeling lonely also predicted lower positive affects among these older adults (b=-0.65, p<0.001). Similarly, loneliness also predicted higher negative affects (b=1.28, p<0.001). Negative affects were also significantly higher among women (b=-1.15, p<0.001) but lower among those who were living alone (b=-1.06, p<0.001). Overall, our findings underscore the importance of social support and connectedness for psychological wellbeing in later life. This finding is consistent with prior research demonstrating significance of social support in later life for the overall psychological wellbeing of the older adults.

scholarly journals Loneliness, hopelessness and suicide in later life: a case–control psychological autopsy study in rural China

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Niu ◽  
Cunxian Jia ◽  
Zhenyu Ma ◽  
Guojun Wang ◽  
Bin Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Psychological Autopsy ◽  
Tree Model ◽  
Elderly Suicide

Abstract Aims Loneliness is increasingly recognised as a serious public health issue worldwide. However, there is scarce research addressing the association between loneliness and suicide in older adults in rural China. We set out to examine loneliness and other psychosocial factors in elderly suicide cases and explore their interaction effects. Methods Using a 1 : 1 matched case–control design, data were collected from 242 elderly suicide cases and 242 living community controls by psychological autopsy method in rural China, including demographic characteristics, loneliness, depression, hopelessness and social support. The chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) tree model and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to explore the relationships of these factors and suicide. Results The CHAID tree model showed that loneliness, hopelessness and depressive symptoms were closely associated with completed suicide and that loneliness and hopelessness interacted with each other. The result of multivariable logistic regression showed that individuals who were unemployed [odds ratio (OR) = 2.344; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.233–4.457], living alone (OR = 2.176; 95% CI: 1.113–4.254), had lower levels of subjective social support (OR = 2.185; 95% CI: 1.243–3.843), experienced depressive symptoms (OR = 6.700; 95% CI: 3.405–13.182), showed higher levels of hopelessness (OR = 7.253; 95% CI: 3.764–13.974) and felt higher levels of hopelessness × higher levels of loneliness (OR = 2.446; 95% CI: 1.089–5.492) were significantly associated with an elevated suicide risk in older people in rural China. Conclusions Regular evaluation of loneliness, hopelessness and depression can help detect older adults who are at risk of committing suicide. Interventions should target social support systems, particularly among people living alone, to alleviate feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. Treating depression is also key to preventing suicide among elderly people in rural China.

scholarly journals Factors Associated With Social Isolation Among Older Adults: The Singapore Chinese Health Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 168-168
Author(s):  
Jon Barrenetxea ◽  
Yang Yi ◽  
Woon Puay Koh ◽  
Feng Qiushi
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Singapore Chinese

Abstract Social isolation is a determinant of mortality and well-being among older people. Factors associated with isolation could be different in societies where older adults live mainly with family, as individuals might feel isolated despite living with others. We studied the factors associated with isolation among 16,948 older adults from follow-up 3 of the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based cohort of older Singapore Chinese (mean age of 73, range: 61-96 years). We defined social isolation as having “zero hour per week” of participation in social activities involving 3 or more people and scoring the lowest decile on the Duke Social Support Scale of perceived social support. We used multivariable logistic regressions to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for factors associated with likelihood of social isolation. Although only 14.4% of isolated participants lived alone, living alone remained a significant factor associated with isolation (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.58-2.35), together with cognitive impairment (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.46-2.04) and depression (OR 2.44, 95% CI 2.12-2.80). Higher education level was inversely associated with isolation (p for trend<0.001). In stratified analysis, among those living alone, compared to women, men had higher odds of social isolation (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.43-3.32) than among those not living alone (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.84-1.17) (p for interaction<0.001). Our results showed that living alone, cognitive impairment and depression were indicators of isolation among older Singaporeans. In addition, among those living alone, men were more likely to experience social isolation than women.

scholarly journals Lonely in the City–Sociodemographic Status and Somatic Morbidities as Predictors of Loneliness and Depression among Seniors–Preliminary Results

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7213
Author(s):  
Kasper Sipowicz ◽  
Marlena Podlecka ◽  
Łukasz Mokros ◽  
Tadeusz Pietras
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Sociodemographic Data ◽  
The City

Up to a third of the population of older adults has been estimated to suffer from feelings of loneliness, which is considered a risk factor of depression. The aim of this paper is to compare the perceived level of loneliness and depression in seniors living in the country and in the cities and assess somatic morbidity and sociodemographic status as predictors of loneliness and depressiveness. n = 92 older adults in primary care units filled out a set of questionnaires: authors’ survey on sociodemographic data and morbidities, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI, to measure depressiveness) and De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS, to assess loneliness). There was a strong, positive and statistically significant correlation between the BDI and DJGLS scores (R = 0.855, p < 0.001). City residents had on average higher BDI and DJGLS scores. Linear regression models were constructed to predict BDI and DJGLS scores. The set of statistically significant predictors were similar for BDI and DJGLS. Sociodemographic status and somatic morbidities accounted for around 90% of variance of depressiveness and loneliness scores in the studied group. Living alone was found to be the strongest relative predictor of both loneliness and depressiveness in the studied sample of the older adults. Our current results suggest that there might be a need to improve social support in the late adulthood as an intervention to diminish the sense of loneliness and depressiveness.

scholarly journals PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF THE GENDER DIFFERENCE IN DEPRESSION OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE ORANJ BOWL PANEL

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S860-S861
Author(s):  
Christine V Ferri ◽  
Kaite Yang ◽  
Joan Girgus
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Gender Difference ◽  
Functional Ability ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Psychosocial Predictors ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Preventative Interventions

Abstract Recent reviews show that the gender difference in depressive symptoms that emerges in adolescence persists in older adults (Girgus, Yang & Ferri, 2017; Salk, Hyde & Abramson, 2017). However, researchers have yet to explain why this gender difference occurs in older adults and if it is for the same reasons as in younger ages. The present study used data collected from 3008 participants over the age of 60 (M=66.45, SD=4.36) from the baseline wave of the ORANJ BOWL, a longitudinal study based in New Jersey (Pruchno, Wilson-Genderson, Rose, & Cartwright, 2010). Depressive symptoms were measured with the CES-D. Six psychosocial predictors of the gender difference in depression were analyzed: functional ability, social support, perceived financial comfort, income level, marital status, and living alone. Women reported significantly more depressive symptoms compared to men (p&lt;.001). Women had significantly lower functional ability, physical health, financial comfort, income level, but more social support than men (all p’s&lt;.02). Women were more likely to live alone and to be separated, divorced, or widowed (all p’s&lt;.001). Significant interactions for gender x functional ability, gender x social support, and gender x living alone were found in predicting depression using hierarchical linear regression. Living alone and poor function were more detrimental for men than women. Low social support was more detrimental for women than men. Understanding the gender difference in depressive symptoms will allow for targeted screening and preventative interventions for women and men at highest risk for depression.

scholarly journals Social Disconnection and Living Arrangements among Older Adults: The Singapore Chinese Health Study

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jon Barrenetxea ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
An Pan ◽  
Qiushi Feng ◽  
Woon-Puay Koh
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Singapore Chinese ◽  
Social Disconnection

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Although living alone is associated with social disconnection, older adults could be socially disconnected despite living with others. Understanding the factors associated with social disconnection by living arrangement could help identify vulnerable older adults in the community. We examined the sociodemographic and health factors associated with social disconnection among two groups of older adults: those living alone and those living with others. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We used data from 16,943 community-dwelling older adults from the third follow-up of the Singapore Chinese Health Study (mean age: 73 years, range: 61–96 years). We defined social disconnection as having no social participation and scoring in the lowest decile on the Duke Social Support Scale of perceived social support. We ran logistic regression models to study the sociodemographic (age, gender, and education) and health (self-rated health, instrumental limitations, cognitive function, and depression) factors associated with social disconnection, stratified by living arrangement. <b><i>Results:</i></b> About 6% of our participants were socially disconnected. Although living alone was significantly associated with social disconnection (OR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.58–2.35), 85.6% of socially disconnected older adults lived with others, most of them (92%) with family. Lower education level, cognitive impairment, fair/poor self-rated health, instrumental limitations, and depression were independently associated with social disconnection. Among those living alone, men were more likely to experience social disconnection than women (OR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.43–3.32). <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Though living alone is associated with social disconnection, most socially disconnected individuals lived with family. Community interventions could focus on those in poor health despite living with family and older men living alone.

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