Loneliness and social isolation of older adults: Why it is important to examine these social aspects together

Abstract

Research shows that social isolation and loneliness are important health issues for older adults. This message is increasingly being recognized by policy makers and service providers. Although the concepts of loneliness and social isolation are often discussed and compared with one another, they are largely examined separately, even if they are both included in the same study. In the present article, we argue for bringing together these two related concepts. For example, focusing only on social isolation overlooks differences between those older adults who are socially isolated and lonely versus socially isolated but not lonely. Consequently, we discuss four groups of older adults: isolated, but not lonely; lonely in a crowd; isolated and lonely; and not isolated or lonely. We argue that considering loneliness and social isolation together will aid in the understanding of the social situation of older adults and can provide new directions for research and intervention programs for older adults.