Who are lonely? Loneliness in different age groups (18-81 years old), using two measures of loneliness

International Journal of Aging and Human Development

Volumn 78, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 229-257

  Nicolaisen, Magnhild ^a,b   Thorsen, Kirsten ^a  

^a Ageing and Health Norwegian Centre for Research Education and Service Development University College of Buskerud and Vestfold   (United States)

^b ULLEVÅL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL   (Norway)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ADULT; AGE; AGED; AGING; ARTICLE; COMPARATIVE STUDY; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY; FEMALE; GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT; HEALTH DISPARITY; HUMAN; HUMAN RELATION; INDIVIDUALITY; LONELINESS; MALE; METHODOLOGY; MIDDLE AGED; NORWAY; PREVALENCE; PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC PROCEDURES; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUESTIONNAIRE; REPRODUCIBILITY; SEX DIFFERENCE; SOCIOECONOMICS; VERY ELDERLY;

ADULT; AGE FACTORS; AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; AGING; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES; FEMALE; GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT; HEALTH STATUS DISPARITIES; HUMANS; INDIVIDUALITY; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; LONELINESS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; NORWAY; PREVALENCE; PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES; QUESTIONNAIRES; REPRODUCIBILITY OF RESULTS; SEX FACTORS; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS;

EID: 84904692022     PISSN: 00914150     EISSN: 15413535     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2190/AG.78.3.b     Document Type: Article

References (64)

1. Aartsen, M., & Jylhä, M. (2011). Onset of loneliness in older adults: Results of a 28 year prospective study. European Journal of Ageing, 8(1), 31-38. doi: 10.1007/s10433-011-0175-7
2. Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimalization with compensation. In P. B. Baltes & M. M. Baltes (Eds.), Successful aging. Perspectives from the behavioral sciences. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
3. Baltes, M. M., & Carstensen, L. (1996). The process of successful ageing. Ageing and Society, 16(4), 397-422. doi: 10/1017/50144686X00003603
4. Bjørshol, E., Høstmark, M., & Lagerstrøm, B. O. (2010). Livsløp, generasjon og kjønn. LOGG 2007. Dokumentasjonsrapport [Life course, generation, and gender. LOGG 2007. Documentation report]. Oslo, Norway: Statistisk sentralbyrå. Notater 19/2010.
5. Borys, S., & Perlman, D. (1985). Gender differences in loneliness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 11(1), 63-74. doi: 10.1177/0146167285111006
6. Burke, K. E., Schnittger, R., O'Dea, B., Buckley, V., Wherton, J. P., & Lawlor, B. A. (2012). Factors associated with perceived health in older adult Irish population. Aging & Mental Health, 16(3), 288-295. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2011.628976
7. Cacioppo, J. T., Hawkley, L. C., & Thisted, R. A. (2010). Perceived social isolation makes me sad: 5-year cross-lagged analyses of loneliness and depressive symptomatology in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relation Study. Psychology and Aging, 25(2), 453-463. doi: 10.1007/s10433-011-0175-7
8. Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously. A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54(3), 165-181. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.54.3.165
9. Cohen-Mansfield, J., Shmotkin, D., & Goldberg, S. (2009). Loneliness in old age: Longitudinal changes and their determinants in an Israeli sample. International Psychogeriatrics, 21(6), 1160-1170. doi: 10.1017/S1041610209990974
10. Deeg, D. J., & Bath, P. A. (2003). Self-rated health, gender and mortality in older persons: Introduction to special section. The Gerontologist, 43(3), 369-371. doi: 10.1093/geront/43.3.369
11. de Jong Gierveld, J. (1987). Developing and testing a model of loneliness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1), 119-128. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.53.1.119
12. de Jong Gierveld, J. (1998). A review of loneliness: Concepts and definitions, determinants and concequences. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 8, 73-80.
13. de Jong Gierveld, J., & Kamphuis, F. (1985). The development of a Rasch-type loneliness scale. Applied Psychological Measurement, 9(3), 289-299.
14. de Jong Gierveld, J., & van Tilburg, T. (1999). Manual of the loneliness scale. Retrieved from http://home.fsw.vu.nl/TG.van.Tilburg/manual- loneliness-scale-1999.html
15. de Jong Gierveld, J., & van Tilburg, T. (2006). A 6-item scale for overall, emotional, and social loneliness: Confirmatory tests on survey data. Research on Aging, 28(5), 582-598. doi: 10.1177/0164027506289723
16. de Jong Gierveld, J., & van Tilburg, T. (2010). The De Jong Gierveld short scales for emotional and social loneliness: Tested on data from 7 countries in the UN generations and gender surveys. European Journal of Ageing, 7(2), 121-130. doi: 10.1007/s10433-010-0144-6
17. de Jong Gierveld, J., van Tilburg, T., & Dykstra, P. A. (2006). Loneliness and social isolation. In A. Vangelisti & D. Perlman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (pp. 485-500). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
18. Dykstra, P. A. (2009). Older adult loneliness: Myths and realities. European Journal of Ageing, 6(2), 91-100. doi: 10.1007/s10433-009-0110-3
19. Dykstra, P. A., & de Jong Gierveld, J. (2004). Gender and marital-history differences in emotional and social loneliness among Dutch older adults. Canadian Journal on Aging, 23(2), 141-155. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10. 1353/cja.2004.0018
20. Dykstra, P. A., van Tilburg, T., & de Jong Gierveld, J. (2005). Changes in older adults loneliness: Results from a seven-year longitudinal study. Research on Aging, 27(6), 725-747. doi: 10.1177/0164027505279712
21. Fees, B. S., Martin, P., & Poon, L. W. (1999). A model of loneliness in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 54B(4), P231-P239. doi: 10.1093/geronb/54B.4.P231
22. Field, D., & Minkler, M. (1988). Continuity and change in social support between young-old and old-old or very-old age. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 43(4), P100-106. doi: 10.1093/geronj/43.4.P100
23. Fokkema, T., de Jong Gierveld, J., & Dykstra, P. A. (2012). Cross-national differences in older adult loneliness. The Journal of Psychology, 146(1-2), 201-228. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2011.631612
24. Fokkema, T., & Naderi, R. (2013). Differences in late-life loneliness: A comparison between Turkish and native-born older adults in Germany. European Journal of Ageing. Published online: March 6, 2013. doi: 10.1007/s10433-013-0267-7
25. Han, J., & Richardson, V. E. (2010). The relationship between depression and loneliness among homebound older persons: Does spirituality moderate this relationship? Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work, 29, 218-236. doi: 10.1080/15426432.2010.495610
26. Hansen, T., Slagsvold, B., & Ingebretsen, R. (2012). The strain and gains of caregiving: An examination of the effects of providing personal care to a parent on a range of psychological outcomes. Social Indicators Research, Published online: September 11, 2012. doi: 10.1007/s11205-012-0148-z
27. Heikkinen, R.-L., & Kauppinen, M. (2011). Mental well-being: A 16-year follow-up among older residents in Jyväskylä. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 52(1), 33-39. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. archger.2010.01.017
28. Holmén, K., & Furukawa, H. (2002). Loneliness, health and social network among elderly people-A follow-up study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 35(3), 261-274.
29. Iecovich, E. (2013). Psychometric properties of the Hebrew version of the de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Educational Gerontology, 39, 12-27. doi: 10.1080/03601277.2012.660860
30. Jylhä, M. (2004). Old age and loneliness: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in the Tampere Longitudinal Study on Aging. Canadian Journal on Aging, 23(2), 157-168. doi: 10.1353/cja.2004.0023
31. Kirova, A. (2003). Assessing children's experiences of loneliness through conversations. Field Methods, 15(1), 3-24. doi: 10.1177/1525822X02239572
32. Lang, F. R., & Carstensen, L. L. (1994). Close emotional relationships in late life: Further support for proactive aging in the social domain. Psychology and Aging, 9(2), 315-324. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.92.315
33. Leung, G. T. Y., de Jong Gierveld, J., & Lam, L. C. W. (2008). Validation of the Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale in elderly Chinese. International Psychogeriatrics, 20(6), 1262-1272. doi: 10.1017/S1041610208007552
34. Luo, Y., Hawkley, L. C., Waite, L. J., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2012). Loneliness, health, and mortality in old age: A national longitudinal study. Social Science & Medicine, 74(6), 907-914. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.11. 028
35. McHugh, J. E., Casey, A.-M., & Lawlor, B. A. (2011). Psychosocial correlates of aspects of sleep quality in community-dwelling Irish older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 15(6), 749-755. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2011.562180
36. Moum, T. (1992). Self-assessed health among Norwegian adults. Social Science & Medicine, 35(7), 935-947. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(92)90108-3
37. Nicolaisen, M., & Thorsen, K. (2012). Impairments, mastery, and loneliness. A prospective study of loneliness among older adults. Norwegian Journal of Epidemiology, 22(2), 143-150.
38. Nummela, O., Seppänen, M., & Uutela, A. (2011). The effects of loneliness and change in loneliness on self-rated health (SRH):Alongitudinal study among ageing people. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 53(2), 163-167. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2010.10.023
39. Paul, C., Ayis, S., & Ebrahim, S. (2006). Psychological distress, loneliness and disability in old age. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 11(2), 221-232. doi: 10.1080/13548500500262945
40. Peplau, L. A., & Perlman, D. (Eds.). (1982). Loneliness. A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
41. Pinquart, M., & Sörensen, S. (2001). Influences on loneliness in older adults: A meta-analysis. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 23(4), 245-266. doi: 10.1207/153248301753225702
42. Pinquart, M., & Sörensen, S. (2003). Risk factors for loneliness in adulthood and old age-A meta-analysis. In S. Shohov (Ed.), Advances in psychology research (Vol. 19, pp. 111-143). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science.
43. Prieto-Flores, M.-E., Forjaz, M. J., Fernandez-Mayoralas, G., Rojo-Perez, F., & Martinez-Martin, P. (2011). Factors associated with loneliness of noninstitutionalized and institutionalized older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 23(1), 177-194. doi: 10.1177/0898264310382658
44. Routasalo, P. E., Savikko, N., Tilvis, R. S., Strandberg, Y. E., & Pitkälä, K. H. (2006). Social contacts and their relationship to loneliness among aged people-A population-based study. Gerontology, 52(3), 181-187.
45. Russell, D. (1996). UCLA loneliness scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessments, 66(1), 20-40.
46. Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Cutrona, C. E. (1980). The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(3), 472-480.
47. Savikko, N., Routasalo, P., Tilvis, R. S., Strandberg, T. E., & Pitkälä, K. H. (2005). Predictors and subjective causes of loneliness in an aged population. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 41(3), 223-233. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2005.03.002
48. Shaver, P. R., & Brennan, K. A. (1991). Measures of depression and loneliness. In J. P. Robinson, P. R. Shaver, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes (pp. 195-289). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
49. Shiovitz-Ezra, S., & Ayalon, L. (2012). Use of direct versus indirect approaches to measure loneliness in later life. Research on Aging, 34(5), 572-591. doi: 10.1177/0164027511423258
50. Shiovitz-Ezra, S., Leitsch, S., Graber, J., & Karraker, A. (2009). Quality of life and psychological health indicators in the national social life, health, and aging project. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 64B(S1), i30-i37. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbn020
51. Steed, L., Boldy, D., Grenade, L., & Iredell, H. (2007). The demographics of loneliness among older people in Perth, Western Australia. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 26(2), 81-86.
52. Sundström, G., Fransson, E., Malmberg, B., & Davey, A. (2009). Loneliness among older Europeans. European Journal of Ageing, 6(4), 667-675. doi: 10.1007/s10433-009-0134-8
53. Thorsen, K. (1990). Ensom og alene, sammen og lykkelig? Ensomhet i uliki aldersgrupper [Lonely and alone, together and happy? Loneliness in different age groups]. Oslo, Norway: Norsk Gerontologisk Institutt. N6i-rapport 2-1990.
54. Thorsen, K., & Clausen, S.-E. (2008). Funksjonshemning, ensomhet og depresjon: Hva betyr ensomhet for om personer med funksjonshemning opplever depresjon? [Impairments, loneliness and depression. The impact of loneliness on depression among people with impairments]. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 45, 19-27.
55. Tiikkainen, P., & Heikkinen, R.-L. (2005). Associations between loneliness, depressive symptoms, and perceived togetherness. Aging & Mental Health, 9(6), 526-534. doi: 10.1080/13607860500193138
56. Tijhuis, M. A. R., De Jong Gierveld, J., Feskens, E. J. M., & Kromhout, D. (1999). Changes in and factors related to loneliness in older men. The Zutphen elderly study. Age and Ageing, 28, 491-495. doi: 10.1093/ageing/28.5.491
57. van Baarsen, B., Snijders, T. A. B., Smit, J. H., & van Duijn, M. A. J. (2001). Lonely but not alone: Emotional isolation and social isolation as two distinct dimensions of loneliness in older people. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 61(1), 119-135. doi: 10.1177/00131640121971103
58. van Tilburg, T., Havens, B., & de Jong Gierveld, J. (2004). Loneliness among older adults in the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada: A multifaceted comparison. Canadian Journal on Aging, 23(2), 169-180. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cja.2004.0019
59. Victor, C. R., Bond, J., & Scambler, S. J. (2009). The social world of older people. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
60. Victor, C. R., & Bowling, A. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of loneliness among older people in Great Britain. The Journal of Psychology, 146(3), 313-331. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2011.609572
61. Victor, C. R., Grenade, L., & Boldy, D. (2005). Measuring loneliness in later life: A comparison of different measures. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 15, 63-70. doi: 10.1017/S0959259805001723
62. Victor, C. R., Scambler, S. J., Marston, L., Bond, J., & Bowling, A. (2005). Older people's experiences of loneliness in the UK: Does gender matter? Social Policy and Society, 5(1), 27-38. doi: 10.1017/S1474746405002733
63. Victor, C. R., & Yang, K. (2012). The prevalence of loneliness among adults: A case study of the United Kingdom. The Journal of Psychology, 146(1-2), 85-104.
64. Weiss, R. S. (1973). Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.